Sword Art Online: Advent Children
by Golden Alpha Kitsune
Summary: Ten thousand innocents; trapped in a game where each day is a fight to survive. There is no second chances, yet they will lead those trapped within; fighting alongside those who see them as 'Elitists' and 'Beaters'. To burden the stigma they had been branded with; they will lead them out. This? Is the story of the guild, 'Advent Children'. NarutoxHarem KiritoxHarem.
1. Death Game!

_**Hey everyone! Kitsune here once again!**_

 _ **I know I've been all over the shop lately and I apologize for all that. I'm working on getting better and sorting myself out while finding inspiration to write again now I'm on hiatus from FFXIV. I currently found a sale on PSN for SAO Re:Hollow Fragment and I decided to download it and play it. (Late, I know. Don't judge.) Completely found myself immersed in the game and enjoying it heaps!**_

 _ **So with the recent burst of inspiration, I decided to take a few attempts at a fic of my own and wanted to see how it would go from there. As always, there's an aspect of Naruto in there so it'll be (mainly) a NarutoxSAO crossover but there will be many elements taken from other games and anime (namely Final Fantasy and whatnot).**_

 ** _And now for my least favorite part. I own nothing but my own ideas and the crazy plot that seems to be stuck in my head. I also am a proud owner of a Nanaki 'Cosmo Guardian' tee which I absolutely adore!_**

 ** _So here we go with a new story... one I'll be keeping as I have a really good base plot for this one, this time! Here is the opening to 'Sword Art Online: Advent Children'!_**

* * *

"Hey! Lookie here!" - Talking!

 _"For goodness sake..." - Whispering!_

 **"Eh." - Key Characters talking!**

 _ **"I'm bored." - Key Characters Whispering! / Loud voices!**_

 _ **[Lucky 7's] - Items / Weapons Drops**_

 **Omnislash - Moves / Skills / Abilities in Reference**

 ** _"[Twin Rising Moons]!"_ \- Moves / Skills / Abilities in Use**

* * *

 _ **~Chapter One~  
**_ _ **~Deathgame~**_

* * *

 _ **Sword Art Online.**_

Those three simple words are enough to cause a worldwide effect. Three small words that would make up the title of the first fully-developed and tested 'Virtual-Reality Mass-Multiplayer-Online Role-Playing Game' _(VRMMORGP)_ and has become the latest trend and most advanced technological breakthrough in and out of the gaming industry. It had been a project that had been talked about for decades by inspiring game-developers and top-tier names all trying to be the one to successfully launch the first VR-Game and claim an unmissable boost in terms of sales, prestige and reputation.

That honor would go to none other than Akihiko Kayaba; hailed as a genius for the past ten years for dedicating himself to researching, non-stop, for all the various equations, laws of nature; everything that would make his project so close to real life in terms of game play, right down to the laws of physics and even the weather changes and atmospheric shifts.

Regardless of the persona that had branded him as a 'madman' by those who think that his ideals and mannerisms were more... _extreme_ ; none could deny, nor could they disprove them man's brilliance. He had _personally_ hand-picked the first one thousand players and gave them the golden opportunity to play as Beta Testers and sample the game before anyone else, in preparation for the official release. Underneath the title were three words that Kayaba had chosen to describe the game to the fans...

 ** _Scavenge. Slay. Survive._**

... which is where our story begins.

* * *

 _ **~SAO:AC~**_

* * *

He chuckled to himself for a mission completed as he shifted the backpack over his shoulders slightly, continuing his ride home down the busy streets; his fully-tinted, top-brand reactors glinted under the mid-July sun as a soft smile soon appeared on his face. Why was he so happy, you ask? Well he had spent the past two months doing jobs; for neighbors, local businesses and even going as far to help with his grandfather's dojo if he had needed assistance (not that he was complaining; he loved spending time practicing there with him) to earn enough money to go out and buy _two_ of the ten thousand limited copies of Sword Art Online.

Now one of the official rules upon the release of the "Full SAO Gear Packs" was that there were, under no circumstances, no pre-orders allowed and that you had to pay upfront before you received the item. The _unspoken_ law was that you were only allowed to buy one pack, seeing as it was limited to only ten thousand possible players. It would have been mostly ignored but Kayaba had then released to the press that; out of the ten thousand packs released, only _three_ of them would have a pre-installed bonus "Special Configuration Pack" (SCP) that would carry over to the game itself and grant the lucky player a unique ability that would not be copied by anyone.

So imagine the reactions when one particular figure, grinning similar to that of a fox, had the _balls_ to ask for (not one but) two sets. Originally he was only meant to buy the one copy for himself but while he placed his phone into his inside jacket pocket, he found himself lucky enough to have enough _forgotten change_ in his jacket pocket that he quickly totaled up enough to buy two copies instead of the one. So he quickly decided to buy the second one as a gift to someone close to him. He quickly placed the items away into his backpack, albeit with a little difficulty, before he found his path blocked off by a mob of teenage guys threatening him to hand them over _'or else'_...

... which they soon regretted when he stomped them to the curb with little effort. Deciding to not stick around for a second round, he quickly dashed off after his bike and quickly made it out of there before someone else decided to go down the 'threatening' route. So with complete setup packs, games and equipment tucked safely and securely in his backpack, he quickly cycled himself home to get everything sorted before having time to start the game.

As much as he would have liked to dive straight into the game and tried it out; he prided himself on his education and had promised that he would not let his grades slip as long as he played the game, and he had been known to have never broken his word when given. Those who knew him would know that he never went back on his word when made.

 _'Let's see... get home, have food, chores, homework, check emails and offers, then I should be good for an hour or two play.'_ he thought to himself as he quickly recovered from his trail of thoughts and his reflexes kicked in; swerving out of the way of a person who had simply stepped out of nowhere and almost caused him to run them over. _'Last thing I'd want to happen today. Like, seriously, do you_ not _know where you're walking!? Try looking, you idiot!'_ he inwardly berated as he shook his head.

He redirected his thoughts to a friend of his who had been one of the lucky thousand Beta Testers that had sampled the game before the official release; which every Beta got a pack free-of-charge for their co-operation back in the testing stages. Yes, he was slightly jealous of his friend being one of the thousand but he couldn't bring himself to mind; knowing he can just fish _(read: blackmail)_ the info from him when they play.

While having dabbled in video games from time to time, he knew very little about RPG's in general. The remedy for this? He had been given a handwritten guide to read a few months ago, just after the beta stages. The guide had given him some in-depth knowledge on how to play effectively as well as some pro-tips and useful pieces of information that would leave him slightly better off than most; he had committed the entire thing to memory.

Smiling once more, the thought of the man long gone from his mind, he continued to cycle down the road when he felt his phone vibrate in his black jacket's inner pocket. Slipping a hand into his collar, he slid one of the earpieces into his ear as he clicked the button that allowed him to accept the incoming call.

" _Heeeey, buddy..."_ a rather nasal voice spoke up from the other end of the phone as the recipient gave a weary sigh; allowing himself to ride expertly off a ramp that had been placed there by workers as they continued making improvements on the road.

"Nope!" the male figure replied with some amusement as he shifted his bag on his back whilst turning sharply down to his right and pedaling a little faster, enjoying the sudden rush of wind that swept his sun-kissed blonde hair.

" _Oh c'mon! I haven't even asked-"_ the voice protested childishly before the cycling male shook his head in defeat with a playful grin on his face.

"Not happening, Kazuto." he responded, just as soon as the sights of his home came into view. Having grown bored of the same old routine over in the States and feeling like his progress and education were tapering off to a steady level, he had been offered by his grandfather (in all bar blood) if he would like the opportunity to move over here and stay with him in the Kanagawa province in the Kantō region of Japan; allowing him to learn from a new culture and learn things he could probably integrate with his, already impressive, knowledge.

His new place of residence wasn't over-extravagant but it definitely had some luxuries to it which most probably couldn't afford for a two-person living space; it was an elegant two story house with an impeccably-tended garden area that lead to the entrance of the house; a traditional Japanese house painted with a soft and bright egg-blue paint, giving a juxtaposition in terms of sight with the soft rosewood-red roof.

The main garden was a sight to behold in itself, thanks to the vastly decorated and impeccably-kept flora, giving a more natural feel to the house itself. He still couldn't help but admire the beautiful sakura tree that was just visible from the back of the house, knowing it was placed perfectly near the swimming pool out the back. He often enjoyed swimming with his 'housemate' on a warm evening as they were both surrounded by sakura petals.

" _For the last time, that was an accident!"_ the other voice pleaded piteously to the rider, snapping him from his thoughts as he lifted his foot over so that both feet rested on the pedal. He steered expertly with his hands before slowly placing pressure on the brakes for him to jump off and keep running with his bike into the main patio. Taking a moment to lower the zip on his jacket, revealing the burnt orange top underneath, he smiled to himself as he noticed the tint in his glasses fade back to normal; running his hand through his windswept blonde hair as a pair of clear cerulean eyes opened up and took in the view before him.

Smiling to himself that the whisker marks on his cheeks crinkled slightly, giving him a fox-like appearance, he shook his head as he walked his bike to the garage. "I don't care. The answer is still no." he firmly spoke, laughing at the whine he got in response. "On a plus side, I got the game." he grinned. "I got lucky and found enough money in my pocket to buy a second one."

 _"And yet again, your incredibly unfair luck factor wins the day again! I call a hax! It wouldn't surprise me if you landed two of the SPC's. That'd be so typical of you!"_ Kazuko fumed comically, sending the blonde into a small burst of laughter. He couldn't deny his absurd luck factor as he had proven time and time again that he could not be beaten when it came to good fortune and luck.

Many of his friends had spread the rumor that he had become the seducer and lover of Lady Luck, herself, and she had blessed him with her luck and her prowess in return for his _devoted_ services. He couldn't stop that one; it _was_ a pretty good rumor after all!

"Eh, you know me! May give it to Kazu-nee and see if she would like to play with me when she has the free time to do so." he shrugged as he reached into his bag and pulled out his bike chain and began tying his bike up in the garage.

 _"Nice! Your sister is pretty hot, man!"_ the voice smirked over the other side of the line.

 _ **"She's still off-limits, baka."**_ Naruto creepily grinned over the phone, his hair shadowing one of his eyes and giving him a draconian visage as the light glinted ominously off his glasses. Apparently, it could be sensed through the phone if the whimpering was any indication.

 _"You going to log on later or no? Server starts at seven, officially."_ he asked, shouting to someone or something in the background before a small 'thud' echoed through the phone; the sound of a door being slammed closed or simply closed with force.

"I gotta run a few errands I still need but I should be able to get on by tonight before bed. If not, I'll be on tomorrow." the blonde replied as he finished locking his bike up. Climbing the steps out of the garage area, he walked through the door and into the house itself. The interior immediately gave off a homely aura and had the effect of making you more at ease whenever you felt it. The rich wooden flooring that graced the hallway and the stairs just a little off to the right-side wall, finished with a soft-cream paint on the walls and ceiling. Taking a more Western twist, the lights were covered by cream orb-shaped lampshades and there was a small orange rug that was placed neatly at the bottom of the stairs.

Talking his shoes off and placing them in the box that had been placed there for him, courtesy of his sister, he marveled at how clean the house looked and knew immediately he had her to thank for it. He had noticed that there were a few bits out of place and assumed it was where she needed help and wanted him to do it. "Kazu-nee still needs help with the house so I'm gonna help her after food. Far as I'm concerned? She comes first." he told him, earning silence from his caller but soon gave way to a sigh.

" _I know. You're a good guy, Naruto. She's got the best brother someone can ask for, despite being a prude who prefers to stick his head in the books and not stick his coc-"_ the voice replied with a hint of respect in his voice and a small dose of happiness and cheekiness before Naruto interrupted his crude remark snappily.

"And _you're_ still an egotistical, nihilistic and possibly _the most_ sarcastic isolationist that really needs to open up to more people and find someone to fall in love with. Hell, even if it means you get laid; someone _other than my sister_ before you make a comment, _hentai_!" Naruto smirked from hearing a groan from the other end.

" _Well played, you blonde bastard. And I'll take your advice under consideration, Naruto. I'll see you later, hopefully."_ the voice admitted with a hint of pride before hanging up. Taking the earpiece out and letting it hang freely down his front, he quietly made his way to the kitchen to find a girl standing at the stove as she continued to cook. He could only smile as he recalled how things came to be as it is, now.

His name was Naruto Uzumaki, a nineteen year old who's longed to be free and explore the different things this world had to offer him and to enjoy life and his dream is to find someone special he could enjoy it with. Originally born in California, he had spent most of his upbringing having grown bored of the same old routine over in the States.

Naruto was orphaned from the young age of five years old; his mother and father, both, were involved in a car accident that had killed them both instantly. He could rest knowing there was no excess pain or any delaying; just a quick and painless death. As he would receive no income funding to take care of him, he had been placed into one of the government systems, thanks to a distant relative of his, which would grant him monthly funding that would immediately stop come his eighteenth birthday as long as he remained in full-time education and was earning grades over a certain standard.

It was on one of those days, back when he was thirteen, he had just finished his Math exam and was making his way home from school... before he had found himself curious about the _'weird-looking'_ building he walked past every day from school. To this day, he had no idea why it was that day he felt the need to go inside but his curiosity had gotten the better of him. So he decided to go inside and talk with the lovely woman behind the counter before finding out it was a martial arts dojo and decided to give it a go.

It proved to be one of the best decisions in his life as the tutors there found that Naruto was a natural prodigy for the art of combat; both armed and unarmed. In total, he had transferred to four different training academies because he had been able to pick up the lessons so much faster than most and still be able to perform them perfectly and naturally. He had managed to reach a stage in which he was able to qualify for becoming a tutor in the same four dojos and had earned a nice amount of money to place to one side should he need it.

Those six years had taught him several forms of combat; all including the uses of several categories of swords in combat; one-handed swords, Japanese katana swords and even two-handed great-swords. His sudden interest in Archery had him using a bow and arrow in non-combat and combat situations; and also using combat-gloves for his two fighting styles when he was unarmed. The one style he had created over the years and was based more on 'leading' the opponent with subtle body movements and feints. It was built around agility, misconception, evasion, trickery and leading opponents into situations where you hold the best advantage; and had named it the 'Fist of the Fox _(Kitsune no Ken)_ ' after watching said creature fend off a larger animal that tried taking its food using the same said conceptions.

Side note, it was after that incident that Naruto soon had a new pet fox that followed him home and stayed there. Another side note, he broke off from his thoughts slightly as said fox dashed up to him and started yipping in happiness from seeing him there. It was an unusual fox but the look was refreshing from normal foxes; the fur was a light vermilion flame that trailed off to the tips of his tails that faded into white. The paws also had white fur as 'socks' that also blended with the rest of his fur. The oddity was the crimson-slit eyes and the black markings that painted his eye sockets and trailed outwards up to his ears.

And yes, _tails_. Not believing that foxes were capable of more than one tail, he was pleasantly proven wrong when Kurama had gained a second tail in his sleep. He chalked it up to his absurd luck and knew he'd have to pay homage to his Lady. He was currently sitting on three tails and he blamed the Japanese Mythology for unlocking his third tail, which earned many laughs from his sister when she was told.

As stated, he had grown bored of the routine over in the States and he desperately needed to escape and go somewhere new, seeing as the funding had stopped and he now had the ability to go wherever he wanted to. He had returned home one day, a year and a half ago, after working in one of the dojos for extra money. He had received a letter offering him to go and live over in Japan but he had no idea who the letter was from, apart from a contact detail to use.

The two got to know one another better and began planning on the move, which wasn't as difficult as it seemed; his 'grandfather' (he had enjoyed calling him as he was the closest thing to family he had had since his parents) had offered to pull some strings with the four dojos he was currently working in and offered a 'Student Exchange' from his Dojo's Academy; in exchange for him.

While he was a natural intellect, it would be down to his combat skills where he would shine the most; thus being the best reason to send him over in exchange for a pupil who studied and trained at the world's most prestigious Combat Academy; the _**En'ō no Yama no Chōjō** **(Summit of the Monkey King's Mountain)**_ , lead and ran by the 'Kami no Shinobi', Hiruzen Sarutobi.

Excited by the prospect of seeing new sights, experiencing a whole new culture and learning new things, he immediately agreed and got the go-ahead from his four sensei and a promise to not let his skills deteriorate. A quick transfer later and he found himself with a one-way ticket to Japan with fox; assuring him that he would have a place to stay and that all expenses would be covered for while he stayed here. Thankfully to him, he would not be alone as Hiruzen had a granddaughter-figure he looked after, who was happy to be living with him.

Naruto let loose a nostalgic smile as he remembered having a chat with his mother once that most of the people in their family had natural red hair, and Naruto could've sworn she'd fit right in with her own. Tied into a ponytail that was held by a band decorated with two red baubles and white feathers, two bangs framed the front of her face and gave her amber eyes more of a glow. She was currently wearing a pink hoodie and a pair of black training shorts as she continued to cook before her head tilted upwards. This was his surrogate sister, adopted in all but blood, Kazuko Uzumaki.

Like him; she was orphaned at a young age after her parents took a weekend vacation alone up in the Tanzawa Mountains, when the hotel they were staying at was soon taken over by terrorists that threatened to shoot them if they didn't comply with their wishes and handed over their possessions. Her parents had put themselves in the firing line and took the bullets, allowing the one man to quickly take control of the situation and to knock them down and unconscious, ready for the police to arrest and take into custody. While she was proud of her 'mama' and 'papa' being heroes, it still hurt not seeing them again. She was soon placed into the care of Hiruzen and had raised her like one of his own daughters.

It came as a bit of a shock to her when she discovered that there was someone moving in with her, who was coming over from the States; but she couldn't bring herself to complain as it would be nice to have some company around the house. It did get lonely on times and she wished she had company there to make it much nicer to love there, despite the many friends she had made over the years.

The moment they both saw one another; there was a connection they couldn't explain but it _was_ there. It had only been after a week or so that two had finally settled down enough with one another and a bond formed between them; one more of a sibling bond but still.

Having her attention broken from the sudden yipping of their pet fox, a familiar scent hit her nose and quickly turned to the kitchen entrance to find her 'brother' standing in the doorway with a reminiscent smile on his face as he stared at her with Kurama in his hands. She quickly turned the heat down on the cooker before she bounded at him from across the room and straight into the welcoming arms of her brother and fox.

"Welcome back!" she smiled warmly as she hugged him. She melted into his arms when he scratched the crown of her head, causing two dog ears to sprout out of nowhere, along with a red-furred tail that swung side to side languidly. "Haaaau~!"

"Hey, Kazu-nee. Food ready as always?" he asked with a cheeky smile as Kurama jumped out of his arms and onto the small cushion on the table. To this day, he never had to wait for food to cook as she had been able to time it spot on for the three of them. The girl in his arms nodded against his chest before letting go and making her way back to the stove to begin dishing food up for the two. Naruto grabbed a few pairs of chopsticks and took a seat at the table, giving Kurama a quick scratch behind his ear. They treated Kurama like any other person so it came to no shock he had his own place at the table and not on the floor.

"So! Did you get the game, hmm?" she asked as she deftly slid across the wooden floor in her sports socks and placed the two bowls of ramen and one plate of cooked meat down for the three of them to eat. After giving thanks for the food, they quickly gave a thank of 'Itadakimatsu' before digging in (with Kurama yipping a few times but they guessed it was his way of giving thanks). "I heard it's really popular!"

Finishing his bite, he turned to her and chuckled with a look of achievement in his eyes. "Yep! Since only ten thousand people can get hold of a copy, it's a really big deal. Being virtual reality means it's something completely new and it's taken the market by storm." he admitted, scratching the back of his head sheepishly. "Plus!" he grinned at her as he opened up his backpack and placed the two copies of the game on the table. "I found a lucky note in my pocket and I had enough to get _you_ a copy if you want to join me."

He didn't prepare for the sudden flying tackle hug that hit him as he found Kazuko rubbing her face into his chest as she squealed. Food forgotten, Naruto simply smiled as she continued to hug him before he slowly returned the hug. He noticed she didn't loosen her grip and smiled warmly at her closeness to him as he rubbed her head again; dog features returning. Kurama's tails could be seen waving happily before he resumed eating.

"How way your day? Training go well with the old man?" he asked from the floor, deciding he can just reheat his ramen in the microwave if it gets too cold. He chuckled at the swat to his chest from her but it was his term of endearment for Hiruzen after all he had done for him. He seemed to take it in stride as well and didn't mind Naruto calling him that as it was, and quote, 'refreshing'.

"Hai!" she beamed. "Oji-sama's been teaching me to not waste energy with my katas and has also told me that he's willing to train me further with my naginata as it'll help with mid-range fighting." she trailed off. "He said it's similar to his staff but more focus on attacking than defending." she confessed as she looked up to him with such innocent eyes, her tail swaying softly behind her.

"Even though it's not my field of expertise," Naruto trailed off with a wistful smile, "I can always train you in what I know; if you want to and if I got time." he offered, not being able to hold back the chuckle from his throat when he felt her rub her face into his chest again.

It was moments like these that Naruto was saddened he was an only child when he grew up. He never had this from of closeness with anyone but his parents and he had never found himself attracted by the females. He had found out that they went out with guys more for the prestige and popularity and very few ended up together because they found that special person to spend their lives with. It was also moments like these Naruto felt like all was well with the world because she had opened up to him so much and felt comfortable enough for this level of intimacy; something he relished dearly.

"Arigatou, Naruto-kun!" she thanked profusely, moving off him when she was prompted that their food was going cold. She blushed prettily as the two resumed their evening meal with a more homely feel in the room. They both cooed at Kurama as he was found sleeping with his three tails wrapped around him and an empty plate in front of him. "Ano, would you mind if I play with you later on?" she asked, earning a raised eyebrow from the blonde. He smirked at her, feeling mischievous and in the mood to tease her, as he leaned in close so that they were inches apart from each other.

 _"Ooh? Does Kazu-chan want to do ecchi things with me and being bold to ask my permission first, ne?"_ he teased in a rather throaty voice, earning an atomic blush as she pulled away with such speed that she almost teleported. He laughed mirthfully at her, bursting into more when she called him a 'baka'. "Of course you can. You sure you're free for tonight?" he asked. He noticed the blush still remaining on her face but paid it no attention.

"I need help with a few things, first. If we can get those out of the way, I might be able to grab an hour or so on the game. Okay?" she teased back with a flirtatious smile that had him blush a little. She coo'd at him, earning a dig to her ribs now that she had taken to sitting right next to him. Naruto simply chuckled as he allowed her to lean on him as they both ate. Naruto inwardly cursed her effectiveness with the technique but could not bring himself to chide her when he took one look at her contented smile.

* * *

 ** _~SAO:AC~_**

* * *

The two lone occupants of the house were now converged in the female redhead's room; it had a cosy feel to it but it wasn't 'girlish' as many would think. Knowing her better than most, he wasn't surprised to see several famous martial artists on posters dotted around the room and several pictures she had taken with a few of them. If you asked her, though? Her most prized photo would be the one on the side cupboard with her and Naruto after claiming first and second place in their local MMA Monthly Mixed Gender Tournament, respectively. Naruto couldn't complain as he had branched out into different areas while she had only focused on unarmed combat and her fighting skill, so she would naturally have the edge over him.

That and her 'Inu-Akuma no Shi Rokku' (Dog-Demon's Deathlock) was a very painful submission move.

Overall, the room was a lovely shade of blue that didn't subtract from the 'female-vibe' in the room. On the floor was a rich cream carpet with a small red rug near the desk where all her writing equipment and computer rested. Her double bed tucked away in the corner and had a television feature that allowed her television to rise up from the bottom of her bed when a certain button was pressed. Unlike normal, though, there was an additional computer that had been brought in from Naruto's room and a cable that covered the extra computer and monitor to run on seamlessly.

"You know, I'm pretty excited for this!" Kazuko beamed with delight, having changed into something a little more lax and casual; a white tube-top that showed off her shoulders, followed up with a pair of red sport shorts that really showed off her soft rear. Naruto decided to forego a top and just turned up in his black and orange shorts, idly noting with amusement that she kept stealing glances at his body. She couldn't help smile, though, as she often found his gaze roaming her body and landing on her rear a few times as well, mentally cheering for her feminine charm coming through.

"I know right? It's nice to have a game I can play with you, Kazu-chan." he nodded enthusiastically. "According to Kazuto; you have to go through the calibration setup and create an account to play before we start the actual game. We both going to stick with our real names or use alternative names?" he asked her. She nodded to the first part of his explanation then paused for the question.

"It's not like many people will know who we are so I would say to just stick to our normal names." Kazuko nodded. Deciding that there was no harm in it, the two of them put their NerveGears on and laid down side by side as they created their accounts and log-in details. Naruto looked down when he noticed her hand in his and turned to face her. He could see the slight nervousness in her eyes and he softly smiled at her, squeezing her hand for support. The two glanced up towards the corner of the headset and noted the time reading six-fifty-nine in the evening. He locked his fingers with hers as the two prepared for the turn of the hour to finally begin their first gaming experience...

... right before her phone went off.

She had the decency to apologize while she quickly took the headset off and scramble over him to reach for the phone, not noticing the risque position that the two of them were in. Naruto blushed heavily when she reached the phone and sat down on his thighs with her back turned to him and she seemed too far out of it to notice it; willing his body to not react to the sight or the knowledge that she was _too close_ to his crotch.

"K-Kazuko..." he groaned, earning the attention of the redhead as she turned to face him. He simply pointed to where she was sitting and time seemed to stand still as she looked down. She quickly noticed the slight bulge in his pants and that she was subconsciously rubbing her crotch on his bulge and quickly grew beetroot red as she vanished from her spot and started apologizing to him.

"N-No no, I'm sorry!" Naruto tried calming her down but to no avail. "W-Who was on the phone?" he asked, hoping to change the conversation and calm his body down. It seemed to work a little as her face returned to normal while holding a noticeable blush to it.

"A-Ah!I-It was Oji-sama. He needed a little help with moving some of the equipment back and I offered to help him. He asked about you and I said you were trying the new game and it seemed to calm him down." she explained sadly; not being able to play the game with him as soon as she hoped. The look was reflected as Naruto sighed in disappointment as well but shrugged.

"No worries, Kazu-chan. I'll be here when you get back. I'll let you know how the game goes, okay?" he smiled, giving her a quick hug and kiss on her head. She froze for a second from the kiss but soon let loose a warm smile as she held the hug for a minute or so. She nodded to him with a bright smile before grabbing her things and head out.

He flopped back onto her bed and looked at the time in the corner of his visor, noting it now read six minutes past seven. He sighed once more before letting an excited grin come over his face, yelling the words that would change his life forever...

 _ **"Link... start!"**_

He quickly found himself assaulted with beams of colour rushing towards him as the first-time setup began, running through all the basic protocols and calibrations as the headsets attuned with his body functions. He quickly created his account and password and soon began installing the last patch that was needed before starting the game. Naruto was slightly confused when the avatar creation screen didn't pop up but was startled when he a pop-up screen that he hadn't have expected.

 **Congratulations on finding one of the three 'Special Configuration Patches' that were released with the rest of the headsets given out!  
Those with these SCP's have been granted a bonus that is unique to each person that plays the game!**

Naruto was _really_ thanking Lady Luck for being his personal good luck charm and giving him an outstanding source of good fortune for grabbing one out of three headsets that had special bonuses that would make the game much more enjoyable. He began laughing at the possible reaction on Kazuto's face when his claim came true!

 **While updating the SCP's to both accounts, I will give a quick explanation of what each patch allows.  
It is a known fact that Kayaba is a supporter and avid fan of video games and has implemented  
three playable classes from the "Final Fantasy" series; 'Ninja', 'Monk' and 'Battle Alchemist'!  
**

 _"Otaku."_ he thought with amusement.

 **The Ninja of eld were known to utilize and channel their inner energy, known as chakra, to perform spectacular feats that are impossible to others.  
Many of them were skilled enough to dual-wield weapons and even throw weapons at their enemies!**

 _"That sounds like it could suit Kazu-chan more than me. The energy-attacks would help her out and dual-wield weapons depending what she chooses. The possibility is there for her should she choose but she may not get it, if not one of these at all."_ he inwardly thought as he continued to read the text in his visor.

 **The Battle-Alchemist class incorporates an off-hand item that allows quick access to your inventory, fully utilizing this class in battle.  
This class also has the unique ability to combine items you've collected to make anything from mass-damage explosions and  
status-debilitating toxins to powerful healing potions and performance-enhancing elixirs!**

 _"Now THAT sounds like it could be fun! Being able to level the playing field in battle sounds like a huge responsibility but also having items that could change the battle? That I wouldn't mind playing!"_ he grinned foxily as he looked at the final pieces of information given.

 **The Monk class focuses on fast and hard-hitting attacks to beat their enemies into submission, using nothing but their own bodies!  
To increase the fairness of using bare fists in this game, Kayaba added special weapons to accompany their fists and deal more punishing damage!**

 **Congratulations, Naruto, on discovering the 'Ninja' SCP!  
May your will and resolve to protect serve to see you and everyone else through alive till the end of the game!**

The explanation had finished as he patch had quickly been installed in his NerveGear. That last message sounded _ominous_ to Naruto as he had a gut-feeling that something wasn't adding up as he started the game; sending him into the world of Aincrad, the world of Sword Art Online...

... and into the world where every decision you make would decide on whether you live or _**die**_.

* * *

 ** _~SAO:AC~_**

* * *

 _ **~Floor One: Town of Beginnings~**_

He appeared in a flash of blue light and quickly noticed the area he stood in; looking something eerily similar to a town square that lead outwards to a shopping mall, he noticed that the area was filling up fast with more players that were appearing in burst of blue pixels. He glanced up towards the middle of the area and took note of the large clock that stood out like a saw thumb, before being brought out of his musings when a player teleported near enough on top of him. He quickly side-stepped away from the new player and slowly walked around as he took note of the atmosphere around him; one of confusion and slight worry...

But for what reason?

Being his first time playing an MMO, let alone a VRMMORPG, he soon found himself on a tight guard around everyone and trying his best not to get noticed too much. He flinched when he saw a white text-box flash right before his face and took a moment to squint his eyes to read the text.

 _ ***You have new mail! Would you like to open? Accept/Decline?***_

While not having any prior experience, he knew he should at least read what he had been sent; puzzled as to who could have sent him the mail so fast. He glanced back up to the clock, noting it now read seven-fifteen... so no more than a total of five minutes here and already sent a mail. Being wary, he clicked on the open button as new text appeared in front of him:

 _ **Sender: Kirito  
**_ _ **Re: Yo!**_

 _ **Naruto! Kazuto here. Just saw your name come up and there's only one guy I know who has a lame-ass name that means 'fishcake'!**_

 _ **\- Kirito**_

His right eye twitched as he re-read what his _friend_ had just sent him and wondered whether to be thankful he was here or smack him for his smart-ass comment. He quickly received another notification that popped up in front of him and saw him send him a friend request, one he accepted straight away.

 _ ***Kirito sent you a party invite! Accept/Decline?***_

Clicking on the accept button, he watched a little minimap appear in the upper right of his vision and noted a green dot heading on his position, rapidly. He turned around to the incoming figure and noticed a long black-haired figure appearing out of the crowd, decked up in a blue and brown-leather get-up. Before Kirito could greet him, there was one final chime of the bell (something Naruto berated himself for not hearing) and noted a red block flashing in mid-air.

"Kirito? What's that?" Naruto asked, pointing to said block. This had a domino effect as everyone was turning towards the said oddity and noted another red block appear above it, with the words; System Announcement, written in black letters appear... right before hundreds of similar red blocks blocked out the sky and covered the plaza in a red dome. Naruto's gut was screaming at him now that something bad was about to happen as he stood in the blood-red tint the blocks had placed over the players and the darkened sky now above them.

"Aaaand the sky is _bleeding_!" Kirito quipped out loud as Naruto noted another player standing beside him; a tall redhead whose hair was held back by a red-and-white striped bandana and followed up with a cream and brown-leather outfit, similar to Kirito's.

"They're really working for that M-Rating, huh?" the newcomer commented before noticing a blonde-haired guy looking at him like he was the weirdest thing to have existed. "Oh hey man! Name's Klein!" he smiled, offering his hand out. Naruto smiled slightly as he took the hand into a shake, noting he had a firm grip on him.

"Name's Naruto. Friend of _Mister Short-Dark-And-Broody_ , here." he quipped with a playful grin, earning a punch on the arm from said person.

"Shut up!" Kirito pouted, earning a small laugh from Naruto and Klein. They turned their attention back to the sky where the blood was all converging on a focal point, giving rise to a crimson-cloaked, gold-trimmed figure whose face was blacked out by the shadow of his hood. There were no body-parts, just more shadows as the ghostly-apparition floated before them all like an important figure. The three of them quickly picked up on the comments being made around them and his gut was starting to feel heavy...

"A Game Master?"

"Why doesn't he have a face?"

"Is this some sort of event?"

 **"Attention players. Welcome to my world."** the figure started speaking in a deep voice, one that demanded attention and earned the attention of all the people standing in the middle of the plaza; spreading its arms out and silencing any more comments from the players. **"My name is Kayaba Akihito. As of this moment, I am the sole person who can control this world."**

"Is that really him?"

"He must've spent a lot of time on this!"

"Akihito... that's not the same Kayaba Akihito that _created_ this game, is it?" Klein asked to Naruto and Kirito, idly noticing that the latter person's eyes had widened considerably in shock. Naruto simply shrugged as he wasn't sure but the name did ring a few bells for him and knew he'd discover what it meant soon enough.

 **"I am sure many of you have noticed that the Log Out button is missing from the main menu. This is not an accident; it is a feature of Sword Art Online. I repeat, this is _not_ an accident."**

Like that, Naruto grabbed his sides as it felt like his stomach was about to physically drop to the floor. Kirito noticed his friend's actions and knew that Naruto would be feeling it worse than others; simply placing a hand on his shoulder as he continued facing the figure alongside Klein.

 **"You cannot log out of Sword Art Online by yourselves. No-one on the outside can shut down or remove the NerveGear devices you are all currently wearing. Should this be attempted, the transmitter inside the NerveGear will emit a powerful microwave and destroy your brain, thus, immediately ending your life."**

On cue, mixed murmurs began spreading throughout the crowd as everyone seemed to be split into disbelief, annoyance and worry; some making a comment about it being a massive joke and others making comments about not believing what this 'Joker' has to say. Klein looked down to find Kirito now crouching down beside Naruto, who looked like he wanted to do nothing more than to rip himself apart from the inside out as he gritted his teeth.

"Is he alright?" he asked Kirito, who looked up at him with a hint of worry for his friend.

"I don't know. Long as I've known him, he's always had this slight empathetic-ability and he's affected more by emotions and moods more than you or me. It could be that what he's experiencing is putting too much stress on him and his body is trying to transmit that feeling into a bodily sensation. In this case? Like an anvil settled in his gut and screaming voices in his head." he explained, noting Naruto gripped his hair tightly and clenched his eyes shut.

"But Kayaba can't be serious, right?" Klein asked, wanting to move away from Naruto's pain.

"It's possible. If you deactivated the safety function, then it's possible to use the transmitter in the same way he just admitted." Kirito replied in all seriousness, shocking Klein who had just seen his 'asshole-personality' and this was a completely new side to him.

"This is crazy! What if we cut the power-" Klein began before he noticed Naruto get back to his feet, albeit shakily.

"Won't work. Each NerveGear must have an internal battery of some kind in cases of electrical blackouts, so it doesn't abruptly cut you from the game while you're still connected to the calibrations. If it didn't, the game could immediately cut out and you'd pretty much be a conscience trapped in a game and left brain dead." Naruto explained, earning an approving nod from Kirito and silence from Klein as he soaked this all in.

 **"Unfortunately, several players' friends and families have chosen to ignore this warning and attempted to remove the NerveGears. Because of this, two-hundred and thirteen players have now been removed from Aincrad... and from the _real world_." ** Kayaba continued as pop-up screens began appearing around his frame and circling him like a centrifugal force of gravity. **"News reporters and social media networks are reporting all of this, including the deaths. This is to assure the risk of external interference being reduced to near minimum. I hope you all relax and attempt to clear the game."**

Naruto's heart sank as he had no doubt that Kazuko would have found out about this and is probably by his side, crying for him and what has happened to him. He closed his eyes as tears slowly slid down his cheeks from not being able to see his sister for however long it would be, unless she dived into the game; knowing the risks that would come with said decision and the consequences should she die in the game...

He couldn't let her take that risk and would prefer her to stay out of this. He would never forgive himself if she died and he could have prevented her death by not picking up that second copy of the game. He turned to Kirito and noticed he had gritted teeth and clenched fists; knowing he was probably in the same boat with his sister as well. He and Suguha had only met up a couple of times the few times he had been allowed to stay over and had found himself a sparring partner in her in the combat of swords, finding a small rivalry between the two of them.

 **"But I want you all to remember this clearly: there is no longer any way to revive a player within the game. Once your HP hits zero, your Avatar will be forever lost... and thus, the transmitter will destroy your brain immediately."**

All that remained throughout the plaza was a stunned silence that held a reluctant acceptance to the situation they now found themselves in; trapped within a game where death was _not_ an option. If they died here, then they would die in the real world thanks to the NerveGears. Family and friends have been warned and they can no longer do anything to help them apart from watching over them and taking care of their bodies while their minds continued to fight in the virtual reality.

 **"There is only one way to escape this game; completion. You are all currently on the very first floor of Aincrad, the first floor out of one hundred."** he began explaining as a holographic figure of Aincrad appeared large enough for everyone to see it clearly. **"By making your way through the dungeons and defeating the Boss monsters that resides on each floor, only then may you advance to the next floor. Defeat the final Boss on Floor 100 and you will all be allowed to logout of the game and return to your bodies unarmed."**

"Clear?"

"What's he talking about?"

"Y-You're just making all this up!"

"Clear all one-hundred floors? That's impossible!" Klein shouted up towards Kayaba. "Not even the Beta Testers made it _anywhere near_ that high!"

 **"Finally, I've added a present from me to your item storage. Please see for yourselves."** Kayaba spoke up, completely ignoring all the insults and questions being thrown at him. One by one, players checked their inventory spaces and noticed an item that had not been there before, a _**[Mirror]**_. Naruto had now clicked on as to why the avatar creation screen never popped up for him; because he had signed on after the official start of the server, he would not have had much chance to get used to it after being reverted back to normal. Nonetheless, he found one in his inventory and decided to keep it there as a reminder of many things.

He looked around him as flashes of blue caught his sight and covered the players over before fading out of view. In their place were people who looked completely different than what they looked like before; making him shiver when he saw girls transform into guys and good-looking guys changing into more... _big-boned_ players. He noted there were a good number of female players despite all that had gone on and he held respect to those gaming girls. He turned to find the familiar face of Kazuto beside him and Klein had gone a small change; his hair now cut short and spiked back.

Confusion and panic swept through the crowd once more as everyone realized that they now looked like they do in real life and everyone began commenting on each other's looks and genders, idly noting Kirito and Klein not knowing who each other were until they overheard a girl really being a boy and a taller boy being a lot smaller and chubbier. He tuned them all out once more as his attention returned to Kayaba and noted the hooded figure was looking straight at him. Kayaba simply opened his menu and swiped a few buttons before Naruto found another pop-up.

 _ ***You have new mail! Would you like to open? Accept/Decline?***_

Knowing who it was off and what he had done right now, he knew to keep this under wraps and simply dismissed the window without reading the mail. It wouldn't do him good to have suspicions on why the selfsame GM who had trapped them all in this deathgame was sending him a PM. He simply gave a short nod to the crimson-cloaked figure and received one in turn.

 **"Right now, you're all probably wondering 'Why? Why would Kayaba Akihito, developer of Sword Art Online and the NerveGears, do this?'"** he continued, ignoring the silence, **"My goal has already been achieved. I created Sword Art Online for one reason... to create this world and _intervene_ in it." **

"Kayaba..." Kirito hissed lowly, Naruto agreeing with him as his thoughts went out to his sister.

 **"Now it is complete. This ends the tutorial for the Official Sword Art Online launch. Good luck, players."**

With that last line said, red smoke began streaming from under his robes and out of all available gaps on his body and started travelling upwards to the hexagonal dome and through the small gaps that were there, removing all and any trace of Kayaba himself before the dome disappeared and returned the sunset sky to them all.

Pure, unadulterated silence was all that remained in that plaza. Everything had been explained to them. Everything was proven and they now had to come to accept the fact that the remaining nine-thousand-seven-hundred-and-sixty-six players were trapped in a Death-game. For the next undetermined amount of time, _this_ would be their _reality_. They will live, breathe, struggle, fight to see another day in a game where you have one life and one chance only.

Naruto bitterly scoffed as the words now made much more sense to him now he knew why his gut felt so damn heavy.

 **Scavenge.**

 **Slay.**

 _ **Survive.**_

* * *

 _ **~SAO:AC~**_

* * *

 _ **~Floor One: Town of Beginnings: Inn~**_

After the tutorial had finished, there had been mixed reactions from everyone there.

There were a small group of people who had found themselves so utterly overwhelmed by the situation that they had found themselves in, that they had all walked to the edge of the city paths and fell down into the sea of clouds below. A small group who had committed suicide because they had given up hope on escaping this place, one day. Another eight-hundred-odd deaths to take away from the starting Nine-thousand-nine-hundred-and-ninety-nine.

He knew it wasn't the full ten-thousand as he had checked the Memorial of Life (which had been the Room of Rebirth back in the Beta Stages, so he was told) and there have already been a good number of names crossed out; a reminder of those who have died to this nightmare. He noted his name had a small **_(NIN)_** by his name, knowing that it would be the sign of him having one of the three SCP's. He didn't know if it was visible to others but he didn't think there would be anyone who could make out why that status was by his name but he didn't put it past them to find out soon enough. He noted another person with the **_(BTL)_** status by their name and made a note of the name for a later date.

There was another, much larger group, who had decided to wallow in their grief and sadness and take to the streets and wander aimlessly around with a lost look in their eyes. Naruto could immediately tell that these people would most likely stay on the first floor and become nothing more than beggars and peddlers because they would have spent their Col on alcohol and whatever else there would be in this game.

A reasonably-sized group of a thousand-upwards had decided to team-up and take up the challenge of fighting their way out. Several people had split up into parties and several parties had been tied together into an alliance; something he could see becoming Guilds once the feature would be unlocked.

Another smaller group had decided to take their hand to the several craft classes that were available to the game and provide the players with items and weapons to see them through the game. He would admit that he was a little disappointed about not getting the **Alchemy** skill but it wouldn't be the only available crafting class available and decided to sit down later and go through what skills are out there for him to take up.

it would also land him in a fighter-crafter hybrid section of players and he knew he'd need to unlock his class as soon as possible so he could start providing for whatever this game would throw at them all.

Lastly, and second smallest to they fighter-crafter hybrids, the final group were the Solo-Players. Those who preferred to stay to themselves as they power-leveled themselves up and not have to worry about anyone but themselves.

The party of three had quickly rented three rooms out that were closed off from the rest of the rooms for added security. The NPC's were programmed to allow those who wanted a room for the night to have it completely free after the news being revealed from Kayaba, himself. Naruto thanked Lady Luck once more as he glanced around the room he had been given for the night. It was simple; wooden walls, wooden floor, wooden roof, tables and chairs and a small bed with a cabinet next to it. Naruto placed himself on the bed as Klein took a seat next to him, while Kirito took a chair and placed it in front of them. Kirito had explained on the way that the rooms were soundproofed so that no-one could listen into their conversation, unless having a skill that allowed you to do so... but reassured them that it was impossible to get on the first day.

"Right." Naruto spoke up firmly, remembering how everyone was running around in a panic like headless chickens. "What choices do we have right now?" he ordered, earning a serious look and response from the ravenette.

"I'm going to go solo." Kirito spoke up, earning a shocked look from Klein but silence from Naruto as he continued to glance up at the ceiling. "I'd rather go at my own pace and not have to worry about anyone else apart from myself." he explained.

"Well..." Klein trailed off, feeling uncomfortable, "I stayed in line with my friends to get this game and they're all here with me. I'd feel bad leaving them like this so I'm going to stay with them and work as a team and level ourselves up." he picked up, earning a small nod from the blonde sitting down beside him.

"What about you, Naruto?" Kirito spoke up, knowing that his blonde friend had a lot to think about. "What will you do?"

"Right now, I'm sitting back and I'm going to research a few things." he finally spoke up after a few minutes of silence. "I need to understand how this game works in terms of mechanics, gameplay and also in battle. Once I get a good grip on how far I can stretch myself, then I can plan things out and go from there." he nodded, earning respectful nods from the two players. "I'll need to decide what kind of weapon I'll want to use as well and go from there." he commented off-handedly.

"Stick to what you know." Kirito commented cryptically, earning a puzzled look from Klein but a glance from one of Naruto's cerulean orbs. "Choose one of them and go from there. I know there are a few you can't learn skills from until you've completely mastered a weapon but I have no idea where to start on that." he hinted, earning a grateful nod from Naruto.

"For now then, I'll keep to my fists. I may grab something from the store or see if my luck is transferred into the game and I get a weapon drop." he grinned, earning a foul look from Kirito.

"Wouldn't fucking _surprise me_." he spat out jealously.

"Uhhh, mind filling me in?" Klein asked politely, not understanding.

"Put it this way, Klein," Naruto started as he swung himself into a sitting position, "I'm _that_ damn lucky that if there was a one-in-a-thousand chance to get an item from an enemy, I would probably end up with two or three at the end of the day." he commented, earning a wild look. "My friends spread the rumour that Lady Luck is my _personal_ Mistress and she blesses me with her luck for my _devotion_." he grinned, earning a laugh from the redhead beside him.

"Man, I'd get a piece of that!" he grinned alongside Naruto. "Here, lemme add you to my friends list. You seem like a good guy, Naruto." he smiled, sending a request over.

"Same to you, Klein." Naruto smiled in return, accepting the request. Kirito stretched for a few seconds before making his way out of the door, but not before stopping for a few seconds.

"Naruto."

"Hai?"

"When you come to a crossroads, the easier way would be to go left and it'd take you straight to the next village. The Right Path will likely kill you if you don't get your skills up in time but the rewards will be worth it." Kirito smiled as he walked out of the room with that last piece of information. Naruto made a mental note of it and stored it away for later keeping. Klein simply followed suit and decided to leave him be for the evening, something he greatly appreciated as he drifted back to the thought of his sister...

* * *

 _ **~SAO:AC~**_

* * *

 _ **(Uzumaki Residence: Kazuko's Bedroom)**_

Her mind was blank.

Her body numb.

Her heart seemingly apathetic.

She had heard the breaking news when she was cleaning up the equipment that those who had purchased and started playing Sword Art Online had now been trapped in the game by Kayaba Akihito for his own personal pleasure and that there would be no other way to get them out of there unless they remove the NerveGear... which would end up killing all those trapped within. She had dropped everything. She stood there numb for a few minutes before she saw Hiruzen rush out to her and offered to drive her back home to Naruto; they both knew was one of the many who was now trapped within the game. She bolted up to her room and she found her brother still on her bed, topless, and she immediately reached out to his face before she burst out crying. She was grateful that he would stay here for a week or so but her whole being was conflicted.

It was a simple choice but the weight of the decision would decide her fate on whether she lived or died.

She could not enter the game and do everything she could to take care of him and continued living her daily life. However, she wouldn't know if he would make it out alive and wouldn't know if he would be alive one moment and dead the next. That sudden possibility of him being taken away from her had scared her.

On the other side, and the most dangerous choice...

... was to dive into the game and fight alongside him. Even if it meant one false move would kill her.

Her mind was being rational and telling her she could provide and care for him from the outside. Yet everything else, her entire _being_ , was telling her that she needed to jump into the game alongside him and support him from the _inside_.

She could do nothing for tonight as Hiruzen had already retired for the night and she would talk with him about what she would do, early in the morning. Knowing she could do nothing for tonight, she stripped down to her underwear and found herself staring at him lying there. She leaned over to him as several tears fell from her eyes and landed on his visor, placing her hands on his cheeks and shuddered at how cold they felt to her. She leaned down and gently kissed him on the lips before pulling away and moving over to the futon she had placed on the floor while he was in her bed.

 _"Be safe, Naruto-kun."_

* * *

 _ **~Chapter End~**_

* * *

 _ **Okay! That's one chapter done! Now, I'm expecting a few flames from this and I'm (not to sound harsh or uncaring) but I've recently come to terms about writing what I feel like writing and to try and stop trying to make a story fitting for everyone. I'll still make the story based on what you (the readers) want to see but I will keep to my storyline and be a bit more firm on it.**_

 _ **Chapter Fifteen of 'Enter the King!' has just been uploaded so go check it out if you haven't aready. Until then, F/F and R/R!**_

 _ **Kitsune~**_


	2. Devil's Luck!

_**Hey! Kitsune is back again! Been a little while but I've got another chapter! I recently got in touch with one of my closest school friends and (as an aspiring writer that he is,) he has gracefully accepted the offer to be my official co-writer-come-beta-reader! So my grammar won't be as sucky. XD**_

 _ **To address an issue before we actually start the story: it is in regards to Kazuko. For those who don't know why she is a character in this game, then I would suggest you look up 'Kazuko Kawakami' from the series 'Maji De Watashi Ni Koishinnasai'. If you read her biography, it should make more sense as to why she has her 'dog' features and her name just so happens to be similar to Kazuto.**_

 _ **And to address the Final Fantasy twist in this fic? Yes, I will be adding aspects of FF into this fic.**_

 _ **With those three points out of the way, into the chapter we go! :D**_

* * *

 _ **~Chapter Two~  
~Devil's Luck!~**_

* * *

 _ **~Floor One: Town of Beginnings: West Field~**_

 _ **"Hyaaah!"**_

He landed gracefully on one knee as another wild boar froze in mid-charge before exploding into a shower of blue pixels. He glanced backwards over his shoulder, taking note of the other three boars that paused in seeing one of their kin disappear forever. Apparently, it was enough to enrage the three as their eyes shifted from yellow to red; their bodies taking on a crimson aura that indicated their 'Berserk' status.

 _"Kuso!"_ Naruto cursed, noting his health had dropped into the yellow from the first bout with the four boars. Grimacing to himself, he picked himself up once more and calmly slipped into a starting stance; bringing himself into a southpaw stance, he kicked himself forward to engage the enemies with a left throw.

The wild boar's jaw snapped shut from its biting position, snapping its head up from the blow and losing a good dent of damage. The two boars took note of the distraction as the next boar shunted his outstretched arm away, leaving the final boar free with a full-body tackle to his chest. Naruto rolled backwards a few times before propping himself on his feet again, his health was now sitting on forty-two percent.

Letting out another roar, he charged back into the fray and connected with the third boar; sending it away with a flying kick before quickly rounding back onto the other two boars. Aiming for the weaker of the two, he kicked the jaw of the boar and sent him airborne... only for Naruto to jump above the boar and connect with another downwards kick to send it back into the ground. He let loose a small burst of laughter when it exploded into pixels, much like its fallen kin. The second boar quickly bashed Naruto and managed to pierce his left forearm with one of its tusks.

He yelped in pain before swinging his right arm back, noticing that his fist was encased in a red glow; indicating he had just discovered his first ability. He let loose another yell as he yanked the head of the boar to its side with his pierced arm and smashed his fist, full pelt, into the face of the wild boar and smashing it into pixels. He knelt down to the floor as he gripped his numb and bleeding arm with his other, watching the last boar charge at him with a ferocious speed.

He could see his health had now dropped to sixteen percent, alongside his 'Bleeding' status and his 'Handicapped' status, the latter of which cutting his base stats by a core percentage. He picked himself up and crouched down on his feet, leaving his right leg stretched out and his left arm clutched close to his body. Once more, he was surprised he found another move to add to the list of abilities he had and waited until the boar came within striking range as he closed his eyes...

 _'I can hear it... the sound of the rustling grass...'_ he paused, taking a mental note of the sounds. _'The front legs landing closely together with its hind with a noticeable gap... around a good fifty meters away...'_ he smirked as his eyes snapped open, his arm now changing from a red glow to a blue aura. Deeming the boar within range, he quickly launched his attack at the boar...

... only to pale when the boar sensed the attack and swerved out of the way. Closing his eyes to his shortened end, he prepared himself for the final blow that would kill him...

 _"Hyyyaaaargh!"_

He kept his eyes closed, not wanting to open them from fear of what he would find. After waiting for a few moments and feeling no blow to his body, he slowly opened his eyes and found himself staring at the back of a figure surrounded in a blue light; the sound effect of the pixels breaking indicated that the final boar had been slain. Seeing that, he slumped down, gripping his bleeding arm and simply stayed still.

"Are you alright?"

He lifted his head up, albeit with some difficulty, when he realized that the voice had belonged to one of a female. His theory was proven correct when he had found himself staring at the back of a figure that was a good head taller than most females he had encountered in real life. She wore a similar outfit to most of the (although few) female players he had seen the night before but she wore a shoulder-less crop and red and pink-skirt combination, instead.

He wetted his lips for a brief moment before he huskily spoke from feeling so drained of energy; _"Y-Yeah... I-I thought I almost had it."_ he admitted, earning a small sigh from the woman as she made her way over to him and knelt before him. He noted the odd combination of short brown hair that (dare he say) clashed with her carmine eyes giving her a 'tomboyish' look but a hair-clip in her hair kept it together for her, grounding her femininity. She quickly swiped her fingers down, opening her menu, as she sifted through her inventory to find a small glass bottle.

She softly popped the cork from the top and gently tilted his head backwards and poured the green liquid down his throat; Naruto not refusing her when he saw his health slowly increase from his measly seven percent to a more solid forty-seven. He opened his eyes once more and found himself mesmerized by her eyes and couldn't help but stare at them for a few moments. She noticed and giggled before her carmine orbs took on a more mischievous glint.

" _Ara ara?_ Am I really _that_ good looking to leave you mesmerized by my beauty?" she playfully asked as a coy smile appeared on her face. With the relief of still being alive and being healed by this 'Goddess in human form', he simply brought himself to charmingly smile in return, noting a small dusting of her cheeks.

"I most certainly wouldn't complain." he complimented before his smile toned down into a much warmer one. "Still, I have you to thank for saving my life... so, thank you." he gratefully bowed his head, earning silence in response before a small smile appeared on her face. He was stunned to find a soft hand place itself on his cheek and tilt his head to face hers.

"You're welcome." she smiled in return before letting her hand drop from his face surprised on how long she had kept it there, simply coughing to herself to regain composure. "So... are you here leveling on your own?" she asked him as he slowly opened his own menu and took a potion himself. Slowly getting to his feet, he pulled out another potion and placed it in her hand.

"For the potion you used on me." he said, earning a small giggle as she deposited it in her inventory. "And yeah, I am. My only friend in the game decided to go solo and get as far as he can, right now. I should've pulled him aside and got him to teach me about the skills in this game, instead of finding out myself and almost dying in the process." he admitted, earning a frown from the woman.

"That was careless of you and irresponsible of your 'so-called' _friend_ if he didn't even bother to give you any advice." she chided, earning a sheepish look from the blonde that made her sigh in resignation. "Well, I'm trying to level up a little bit myself. I wouldn't mind giving you a few tips... _in exchange_." she grinned. Her playful look returning.

"Well... after saving my life, I have to repay you somehow." he shrugged, not minding the company or the help.

"You're no fun to tease." she huffed, puffing her cheeks up adorably with her hand on her hips. "Aren't you gonna ask me what _I_ want?" she asked rhetorically. Earning an amused look from his face, she gave up. "You _really_ are no fun, you know?"

"No, I just know you'd tell me anyway." he grinned foxily, earning a swat to his arm and a chuckle from the blonde. "So what is it you need?" he asked, earning a small smile from her as she was finally asked. The smile soon turned into one of embarrassment as she grabbed her elbow, shyly looking away from him. He was puzzled as to why she turned like this but simply waited for her to speak up.

"I-It's..." she trailed off, "I-I want to do something _more_ than just fight. My dad... back in the real world, he owns a blacksmith shop and he makes weapons for a living." she started explaining, earning his full attention. "I picked up a few skills from him and I want to do the same here; by doing my part, by making the weapons that'll save people's lives." she softly finished.

She stayed silent a moment, averting her gaze however when she looked up to his face she was shocked to find him staring at her with another soft smile on his face. "What? Thought I'd laugh at that?" he asked her, earning a shy nod in response to his question. "Nope. I think that's an awesome idea and I admire that." he complimented her. "I'm thinking of taking up a craft as well but I'm not sure what." he commented off-handedly. Her eyes widened in surprise at his claim but she could see the same fire in his eyes that he saw in hers...

... the fires of determination.

"What would you take up?" she asked, curious as to what he would say next. He paused for a moment as he thought about his choices and opened up his character page, noting that he had several slots available; the main-hand, off-hand, chest, hands, feet, belt, cape, necklace, charm slot and two rings. He soon found some gears turning in his head as he took note of the last four items and finding that he may have just stumbled across what craft he would take up.

"Y'know what?" he started to speak, earning a quizzed look from the brunette beside him. "I think I may just have found my answer." he grinned.

"Well, sorry to burst your bubble, _Whiskers_ ," she coyly smiled, earning a look for the new nickname she had given him, "But before you even _think_ of making stuff, you need the materials to make the items... which is _where_ you're gonna repay that favour of mine." she grinned, earning a small pause from the blonde before a similar grin appeared on his face. He quickly opened his menu up and pressed a few buttons on his screen, prompting the pop-up box to appear in her menu.

 _ ***Naruto has sent you a friend request and a party invite! Accept/Decline?***_

"Naruto, huh? Never thought I'd find someone named after 'fishcake'." she grinned, delighting in the groan that came from his throat. She giggled briefly before accepting the friend request and accepting the party invite. "Well, name's Lisbeth but I don't mind being called Liz." she smiled, offering her hand to shake. He nodded and quickly shook her hand...

... before a burst of blue light appeared around them and finding themselves surrounded by another four boars.

" _Kuso!_ I forgot about the re-spawn!" Naruto cursed as he swiped open his menu once more and decided to err to caution and pulled out the weapon he had finally decided for himself; a broad two-handed sword. The hilt was wrapped in a plain white cloth, seemingly ingrained into the metal that made the massive sword he held. The metal was a shined black polish with silver edges primed to slice through things with ease. Holding it in front of him in a katana-stance, he noticed that Liz had pulled out a simple mace.

"Skills, you'll notice, require certain actions to be performed, stance, positioning, some even occur when under specific requirements." Lisbeth began explaining as she grabbed her mace with both hands and held it out to the side, prompting the start of a skill. She then reached the first boar and quickly drove it down straight on top of the boar's head, killing it instantly.

A screen appeared soon after it, revealing their rewards for killing it in terms of Col, Exp and any items that were dropped. She was shocked to find a _[Prime Boar Meat]_ drop on the _first floor_ , after hearing from Beta players that any kind of rare item would not drop until after the tenth floor. Not looking a gift-horse in the mouth, she pocketed it and turned back round to Naruto, who was watching her closely.

"That's pretty much all there is to it." she finished as she lowered her arms back down. "The game mechanics will ensure that the attacks always land and that the accuracy is spot on."

She watched him slowly nod as he remembered a stance he had learned from one of his mentors and took his left hand off the sword and lifted up with one-hand, shocking her with the pure strength it must have taken him to do so. He ran past her as he tilted the sword backwards a little bit and noted a blue sheen cover the edge of the sword. Running in the midst of the three boars that had focused on them, he swung his right arm around and caught the sword with his left hand, allowing him to spin in place and cleaving through the three boars with ease. He finished with a flourish by bringing his sword out to his side and crouched down on the grass.

 _'Wow...'_ was all that she could think when she watched him sling the sword over his back and into the straps that had appeared in place, finding herself mesmerized by how he had dispatched the boars with ease. She wasn't paying attention as she soon found him snapping his fingers in front of her face; leaping back a few steps from finding his face near hers. "I-I'm sorry! What did you say?" she asked lamely.

"Just asked if you were alright. You spaced out for a sec, there." he grinned. She shook her head clear before she perked back up, leaning in close and poking his chest a few times.

"I'm fine, _Whiskers_. Now, you ready to get down to some material farming?" she coyly smiled once more, earning a laugh from the blonde as the two found themselves drawing their weapons once more; Lisbeth bringing her mace out while Naruto cracked his knuckles with a loud pop.

"We got till lunchtime, _Mistress!_ " Naruto spoke up with a challenging grin on his face, laughing at the sour look given for his nickname for her. "Loser pays for lunch. See how many boars we can kill before five." he suggested. Lisbeth simply readied her weapon before the duo crouched slightly...

 _ **"Go!"**_

* * *

 _ **~SAO:AC~**_

* * *

 _ **~Floor One: Town of Beginnings: Restaurant~**_

"Well I'll be damned..." Naruto mused to himself as he watched the sheer delighted look on his partner's face as a massive dessert was placed in front of her. "Are you _really_ gonna eat all that?" he asked innocently, earning a glare from Lisbeth as she dug her spoon in and took a massive bite of her 'Godfather'; a dessert made up of crumbled twin-chocolate brownies, fudge, crushed chocolate flakes, vanilla ice-cream scoops topped with three different kinds of chocolate and topped with chocolate sprinkles and chocolate sauce.

 _"Is that a problem?"_ she whispered in a cold tone, leaving Naruto sweat slightly under the pressure.

 _"N-Nope!"_

"Good!" she beamed happily, taking another spoonful of dessert. "Still, I'm surprised just how much loot we got today! Even with a larger team, this would be incredibly uncommon." she explained, earning a curious look from the blonde. "Well, I heard that they had introduced a new stat into the game. Apparently, item drops are based on what your _'Luck'_ is." she explained, missing the look of hilarity on Naruto's face as the news sunk in. If word got out about his luck stat, then he'd likely break the game in terms of drops!

"We both managed to level up a few times, so that's a good start!" Naruto grinned, masking his shit-eating grin the best he could. "We bot got points but this is my first game and I have no idea what to do with them." he confessed lowly, earning a small pat on her shoulder from Lisbeth.

"It's alright, it's my first time as well. Just open up your menu and select your 'Stats' screen." she nodded as she swiped her index and middle fingers down in front of him, bringing up the menu. "Stats are just the numbers to show you how strong you are, how fast you are and all the statistical things about you. Underneath that will be your current available skills and perks if you have any. You upgrade the skills the more you use them and then have the chance to learn new moves that branch off of them." she explained, showing her own menu as a guide. "You usually earn skill points for every ten levels you improve on your weapon, which you can spend to unlock new moves and abilities."

 **Character: Lisbeth**

 **Level: 4**

 **Stats:**

 **Strength: 10 (+8)  
Vitality: 9 (+1)  
Dexterity: 6  
Agility: 7  
Accuracy: 11  
Crit.: 4  
Evasion: 14**

 **Attack: 96  
Defence: 25  
Luck: 9**

 **Weapons:**

 **Maces: 127/1000**

 **Abilities:**

 **Maces:**

 **Silent Blow: 20/1000  
Power Strike: 17/1000**

 **Perks:**

 **Ironblood: 25% Increased efficiency to all Blacksmith skills.**

"The stats goes as follows: Base stats (including allocated stat points), stat boosts from abilities and perks, stat boosts from gear and then there's the chance to embed crystals; but the crystals don't kick in until level forty." Liz explained as she closed her menu down. Naruto nodded as he checked his menu, waiting for the response he'd get when he noticed she had paused her eating and leaned over the table to see his numbers.

 **Character: Naruto**

 **Level: 4**

 **Stat Points Available: 26  
Skill Points Available: 16**

 **Strength: 17 (+10)  
Vitality: 11 (+13)  
Dexterity: 13 (+2)  
Agility: 4  
Accuracy: 11  
Crit.: 9  
Evasion: 15**

 **Attack: 116  
Defence: 21  
Luck*: 115**

 **Weapons:**

 **Zanbatō (2H-Sword): 94/1000  
Hand-to-Hand: 77/1000**

 **Abilities:**

 **Zanbatō:**

 **Avalanche: 19/1000  
Blast: 25/1000**

 **Fighting Gloves:**

 **Uzumaki-Ryū*: 17/1000  
Kitsune no Ken*: 16/1000**

 **Active Perks:**

 **Uzumaki Blessing: Gain Vitality based on half your current base Strength Stat.  
*Devil's Luck: Your Luck Stat is massively boosted... in turn for increased mission/quest difficulty. (Perk liable to be lost if you fail, repeatedly.)  
?: ?**

Pure silence settled between the two of them as Naruto shyly looked up, only to find Lisbeth's carmine eyes staring straight into his own cerulean. He knew why as she slowly placed her spoon in her (now forgotten) dessert and reached over the table and slowly grabbed the hem of his armour and pulled him in to her face. She didn't even rush the action, just a normal pace... and _that_ was what was scaring him.

 _"One hundred and fifteen."_

"Yeah..."

"... your Luck stat is _one hundred and fifteen_..." she repeated.

"Yeah." Naruto quietly spoke back, sweating heavily. She nodded a few times before a small smile appeared on her face, slowly growing into a smirk, then into a grin that threatened to split her face in half.

 _"Awesome."_ she whispered back in giddiness as she patted his cheek a few times before leaning back and tucking back into her dessert. Naruto shivered violently when she sat down, feeling like his time in here had just been taken away from him by the same girl that sat in front of him. He simply sighed to himself as he brought up his 'Skills' menu and glanced down at the skills that had currently been set in front of him. He noted that the weapons available in the game were all placed into categories; noting that his **Hand-to-Hand** and **Two-Handed Swords** were barely filled. He saw boxes that represented the level-up bonuses that he would unlock further into his weapon masteries.

He saw a bunch of skills branching off from the weapons and noted they were likely abilities and perks that were available to him but still locked. The three he saw unlocked were **'Close Combat'** , **'Conditioning'** and **'Forgotten Arts'**. He found that the three perks would only cost him one point each, so he decided to click on each of them and accept them. He opened the screens up and saw additional skills that would be unlocked if he spent the points to use them. He noted the effects that each perk had given him; the **Close Combat** perk granted him a twenty-five percent bonus in hand-to-hand combat, **Conditioning** increased his strength stat by thirty percent and **Forgotten Arts** had a bunch of question marks underneath it. Leaving it for now, he closed the menu; just in time to see Lisbeth finish off her dessert.

"Anything interesting?" she asked as she noted how intently he was staring at the screen. He simply gave her a smile and closed the screen down, leaving her guessing at what he had found.

"A few things but nothing concrete, yet." he admitted, seeing her 'gerbil-face' from how adorable she looked when she puffed her cheeks up. "My main question is how you start a crafting class." he asked her, earning a small nod.

"The crating list is available to everyone and split into several categories. Focusing on one of the classes will automatically unlock a few set crafts that depending on the craft, you can make anything after it based on your imagination." Lisbeth explained as she opened up her inventory to check out the vast amount of ores she had gained with her partner. That thought made her pause briefly, wondering where it came from, before closing the menu.

"Right. I should be okay with the items I have for now. Do you still need anything, Liz?" he asked, taking a small bite of the bowl of ramen that he was slowly savouring. She placed her finger to her chin and tapped it a few times before sending a quick glance to him.

"Well, if it's alright with you... I'd like to call it enough for today and spend the rest of the day tinkering with my blacksmithing and start getting that up to shape." she professed, earning a reassuring nod from Naruto as he could agree with the sentiment. "I still want to know what craft you'll be taking up!" she pointed at him, earning a small chuckle from the blonde as he wagged his finger. The two simply decided to keep the pleasant atmosphere for a little while longer before splitting ways.

* * *

 _ **~SAO:AC~**_

* * *

 _ **~Floor One: Horunka Village: Outskirts~**_

Wiping a bead of sweat from his brow, he slowly trekked through the heavily-wooded forest that threatened to soak him all the way to the bone from the humidity of the afternoon sun; forcing him to forego his armour and simply travel bare-chested. He silently cursed to himself as he shook his hand from the phantom pains of the nettles embedding themselves into his hand, simply focusing on remembering the path to get one of the best weapons for this floor.

He could have knelt down on his knees and prayed in thanks when he saw the small village finally come into view, gazing towards the small houses that occupied this seemingly remote village. He took note of the few NPC's that were walking about, going through their day-by-day programmed tasks and, though he'd not admit it, it did give off a homely vibe. For a split moment, he thought about Naruto before telling himself he'd be alright. Placing the t-shirt part of his armour back on, he slid down the small slope and skidded neatly into the middle of the path that entered the village. Praising himself and wishing he had a camera for his moment of 'coolness', he soon made his way.

He didn't waste any time as he quickly ran up to the NPC that initiated the quest and clicked on the **Accept** button; mentally rolling his eyes from the long-winded explanation the man gave, wanting to run out and get a decent sword, get that small edge over the competition. Having enough courtesy to thank the man, he quickly opened up his map and made a marker where he needed to go to and quickly took off.

* * *

 _ **~SAO:AC~**_

* * *

 _ **(Following Day)  
~Floor One: Town of Beginnings: Eastern Ravine~**_

 _"What's taking them so long?"_

Naruto sighed defeatedly as he took another bite out of the sandwich he had purchased back at the Town of Beginnings, just shortly before heading out into the fields once more to take on some of the more difficult enemies. It had been another close call at several points, almost repeating his performance from yesterday and killing himself from carelessness but he had attempted taking down some of the monsters whose names were titled in red, instead of a normal white.

He knew red meant powerful. He also saw a black titled enemy and knew not to go anywhere near it.

Much to his surprise, the experience he had received from the main force of spawnable enemies; Dire Wolves and Alpha Dire Wolves was impressive. Both were titled in red proving a challenge for him to keep up. He had a few close calls when trying to pull just one wolf he'd end up chain-pulling three or four; pushing his reflexes to the max. He let loose a smile as he opened up his menu and noted he had jumped up in weapon mastery and the amount of 'Skill Points' he had to spend.

He would keep it under wraps that taking and defeating a red-named monster would grant a skill point upon successful kill.

With the extra points, he had noticed that the crafting class he was interested in had appeared on his list and decided to invest a good ten skill points to unlock a few new abilities for his recently-discovered **Goldsmithing** craft class; namely using five points to unlock a recipe book and the other five on two skills, one which added a small boost in quality on all items made and **'Desynthesis'** , which allowed him to take an item and dismantle it to get bonus materials and potentially rare items as well. The two skills branched out further and there were many other perks that could be taken, but he needed to raise his level before he could unlock them.

Talking with Lisbeth from the night before, crafting worked differently from battle classes in terms of skill points; meaning it would be one skill point every _twenty_ points of mastery and a bonus point on every two-plus rarity item he makes (at this level).

Thinking about the girl he had spent most of the day with yesterday, he had sent her a message (and one to Kirito as he would likely chew his ass out if he wasn't told) about stumbling across an easily-overlooked cave entrance that, he assumed, was a hidden dungeon. This had been over an hour ago and there had been no sighting of either of them, much to his surprise. As he thought about sending another message, he glanced around and quickly swiped open his inbox and pulled up the same inbox he had received from Kayaba, himself. He clicked on **Open** and tried to keep his face impassive as he read the message.

 **Sender: Kayaba Akihiko (GM)**

 **Re: Bearer of News.**

 **Naruto Uzumaki-Namikaze; I will admit I am surprised that you would be one of the ten-thousand trapped here but, nevertheless, I have sent this to you with some noteworthy pieces of information. Please know that even I am not stupid to incur the wrath of Hiruzen-dono, so your safety will be assured as long as you comply to the game mechanics.**

 **The first piece of news relates to your abnormally high 'Luck' stat. As incredible as it is, I will have to balance the mechanics out by making all your quests and missions harder for you to counterbalance this anomaly. Note: if you accept a quest while within a party, then this effect will be reduced based on the number of members you have within said party the moment you accept the quest. Despite this, the mission will always be much more difficult than normal.**

 **The second piece of news is to do with two NerveGears you bought the day of the release. I can confirm that your sister holds the third and final SCP-Nervegear and she will have access to the 'Monk' class.** **While you have the 'Ninja' SCP, I will set you onto the path of a hidden class I have set aside for you. Note; one of the requirements for this bonus is that you cannot and will not be allowed to join a Guild for the first half of the game or rather until completion of Floor Fifty.**

 **In regards to your 'Ninja' skills, there will be no extra bar for you to use said energy. To use any of the 'Ninjutsu' features, you must sacrifice your HP to cast them. There will be some buffs and perks suited for the 'Monk' class but you will be limited in what skills you receive and can unlock.**

 **Finally, I mentioned during the installation of the patch of the possibility to Dual-Wield a weapon. Unfortunately, only one person will be capable of attaining the class and use it within game parameters. The only way to gain it is to attain the best reaction time out of all ten thousand players.**

 **Good luck.**

Naruto simply paused for a few moments as he digested all the information in. He was excited about having another exclusive class to play as but he knew that there would have to be some kind of catch and he knew that things would only continue to prove difficult for him as long as he stayed in the game. He re-read the part of himself not being able to join a guild until floor Fifty-One and that irked him as he would've liked to start a guild and build it up. Sighing to himself, he simply moved the message to a saved folder and quickly opened up his inventory to pull out a piece of bread he had bought before leaving town.

 _"Whiskers!"_

Naruto spun his head around to find his fellow companion from yesterday jogging up to his position with a smile on her face. He simply waved as he took another bite of his bread as she jumped to a stop in front of him. She smirked slightly as she took the bread from his mouth and held it away from his face, earning an amused look from Naruto as he chewed on the piece in his mouth. Much to his surprise, though, she had took a bite of the bread and popped the final bite into his mouth.

 _"Damn! Three days in and already getting cosy with a chick! Wonder what your sister will have to say about that?"_

He simply grinned as he didn't even bother to face the third member of their rag-tag group. "Least I'm getting 'cosy with a woman', unlike _someone_ I know who happens to have a crush on my sister!" Naruto shot back, earning a loud guffaw from Lisbeth as she laughed at the sharp comeback.

"Dammit." Kirito sighed as he finally converged on their position. "You've got me. So what's this about? And who's the chick?" he asked bluntly, earning a disapproving look from Lisbeth at his comment.

"The _chick_ is called Lisbeth, _Bucko_." Liz introduced herself to him with a frown on his face. She almost lost it when he gave her a dismissive wave and simply tuned her out. She was about to move when a firm hand was placed on her shoulder. Turning to follow the arm up, she noticed Naruto shaking his head with a smile on his face, causing her to huff before standing down.

"This is Kirito, Liz." Naruto introduced briefly before moving on. "As for why I called you two for... I believe this is the side-dungeon for this floor!" he grinned. "So, _whaddya think?_ " he asked the two as they both stared at the cave in response. Before an answer could be given a notification popped up in red:

 _ **~~WARNING! RECOMMENDED LEVEL ENTRY: 8~~**_

"Well," Lisbeth mused as she rolled her shoulder with a challenging grin on her face, "We won't know until we try it, right?" she rhetorically asked, earning smiles and nods from the others as the three slowly entered the cave; activating the dungeon as a blue barrier appeared behind them. They couldn't get out now, so they resolved themselves to make it through this dungeon and get back out on the other side. They glanced around and found themselves awed by the slightly glowing formation of gems inside of the place. Having nothing to lose, the three of them decided to make their way further down the clearing and deeper into the cave.

The three had been walking for five minutes or so when they heard a chattering noise just ahead of them. They noted a small sprouting plant appear out of the floor, just before the earth around it loosened and gave way to a small Seedling. They all noted that it was a level twelve monster so it shouldn't be too bad with the three of them...

Of course, they _forgot_ that premature conclusions often jinx the situation as another twelve seedlings appeared in front of them as well.

"Well..." Naruto paused as he pulled his weapon off his back before cutting himself with the blade before swinging it once again, activating the **Blood Vengeance** attack he had discovered during the 'Pig Hunt' yesterday. "Fuck." he summarized perfectly. He turned to Lisbeth, noting her mace was shining red when he nodded to her. She prepared herself to time her jump, finding the perfect chance as soon as Naruto's zanbatō came just behind him. Jumping onto the flat of his blade, she leaped up into the air, allowing herself to somersault backwards in the air before being her mace down into the middle of the Seedlings.

The impact against them stunned them momentarily, allowing Naruto to rush up behind her and hit his own move, taking a good 36% of each Seedling's health. He noted that they all turned their attention to him, he had their aggro locked on him. Kirito and Lisbeth darted up from the sides as they both worked on each Seedling one by one, whittling them down before all three landed a three-way blow on the last one. They paused as several notifications appeared, telling them of the new skills they had unlocked. Deciding to leave the menus for until they were back in the inn, the three continued onwards. It proved a little tedious when a few more mobs of Seedlings spawned, noting that they were slightly easier to manage in big groups than in twos or threes. Curious, after finishing off the last one in the current mob, Lisbeth asked just that.

"Hey, Whiskers?" she asked, earning said blonde's attention and a raised eyebrow from Kirito in regards to the nickname, "Why does it seem easier to face a bigger group than a smaller group?"

"Ah," Kirito nodded as he sheathed his sword, "It's a mechanic used in a lot of games; it's like a balance-formula." he began, trying to find the right words to use. "Say the mob has a total of a thousand health. If the mob was split into ten, then we'd have ten monsters with a hundred health each. If we had, say, five? Then we'd have a group of five monsters with _two_ hundred each. If it was just the one monster? It would have the full one-thousand health and be much harder." he explained, earning an 'ooh' from the brunette as they decided to carry on. Seeing as there was no major threat presented right now, Naruto sheathed his weapon and opted to go melee for a little while.

The three soon got bored from the continuous spawn of Seedlings but soon encountered a few Saplings, slightly higher leveled versions being level thirteens, and having an ability called **Spore** ; making it impossible for Naruto to hit with melee attacks as it would paralyze him if the spores came in contact with him. There was one close call with Naruto when he had the paralysis debuff and constant attacks aimed at him dropped him to under 30% health; prompting two potions and an intervention from Kirito as he took them down. This pretty much was the main plan for an hour, when they soon stumbled across a large clearing; glistening with glowing crystals but they all focused on a flower which lay in the middle.

"Oh, what a beautiful flower!" Lisbeth smiled as she made her way towards it. Naruto simply shook his head when he saw her get so carried away by a flower of all things, when a pop-up appeared in front of him;

 _*You sense bloodlust ahead of you!*_

Paling at the thought, he yelled out, "Liz! Get away _now!_ " he yelled brandishing his weapon. He saw the earth quake a little bit before he saw a green vine burst out of the floor, aiming to penetrate the stunned brunette. She screamed as it came for her but she found the vine cut off just before it reached her. Putting an arm around her waist, Naruto leaped back with her in tow; just to see more vines appear from the floor and whip around wildly as a behemoth of a figure soon appeared before them all.

Naruto had to shudder slightly at the sight of the creature creature before them, vines whipping around it defensively. On top of its head was a red and orange flower, fading to the lone white flower that was visible before... which didn't subtract from the massive gaping maw of razor-filled teeth that stared them down. He glanced up to see the name of the monster and checked its level; not feeling confident from the sight of _four_ health bars on said monster. He discovered he unlocked a new ability; **Scan** , and decided to use it on the _thing_ before them.

 **Name: NM: Rotting Ochu  
** **Level: 28**

 **HP: 24500/25000  
** **MP: 50/50**

"Oh _wow_ ," Kirito drawled out as he unsheathed his sword, "I would have _never_ have guessed that a flower in the middle of a creepy cavern would be _completely harmless_!" he yelled, not watching his surroundings when Lisbeth slugged him across the face and sent him stumbling to the floor. "Owowowow!" he hissed in pain, cradling his right cheek where the haymaker landed. "The _hell_ was _that_ for!?" he argued back at the blacksmith, glaring. She huffed as she glared at him in return.

"Look I'm new to all this, _baka_!" she retorted angrily, stopping and calming down when Naruto placed a hand on her shoulder. She turned her attention to the patiently waiting Ochu and turned to see the worried look on his face. "Naruto? What's wrong?" she asked. He pointed to the boss, namely the four health bars that curved around the frame of the Ochu. "Oh..." she trailed off, catching his drift.

"Yep. Rotting Ochu, level twenty, twenty-four and a half thousand health and fifty mana." he summarized from what he could observe from his **Scan** ability. "If what we faced are any giveaways, then melee attacks are probably best avoided here, or used only for the final strike and to try to **Mug** him if I get the chance." he planned, earning a slight nod from her as Kirito moved back to the group, deciding to stand on Naruto's side. "Kirito. Any ideas how to run this?" he asked, turning to the former Beta tester.

"The best way I can think of is to keep 'switching' attacks." he spoke seriously, knowing he'd need to elaborate further for the new players' sake. "Switching, one person goes in, lands a few attacks and then parries a major attack allowing the 'switch' with another person who'll have a clear shot of the boss, repeat for the next person. Keep doing this till it dies. Pull out if your health goes into yellow; no pushing it to red this time." he commanded, earning serious nods from the two of them. Naruto prepped his **Deadly Throw** move while Lisbeth readied her mace for her newly acquired **Diving Smash** attack. "Ready?" he asked, readying his own move.

 **"Hai!"** the two replied in unison as Naruto grinned foxily and allowed the sword to fly in a perfect circular arc, smiling and inwardly cheering when his attack landed critical blows on two of the vines and dropped the boss' health down by a further thousand health. He noted a red aura as the Ochu stared at him, knowing he held aggro right now. He ran down the slope with his sword held behind him, glowing red as he readied the incoming attack on his position when he moved close enough. The boss tried taking him out with another pair of vines but he soon ducked under them and slid onto his back for a few seconds before launching his attack and leaving a large gash on its lower jaw.

"Get the vines! Each one downed takes five hundred health off it!" Naruto shouted back to the others. They shifted focus to the vines that began whipping around madly. Naruto was so focused on the others, he didn't see the vine smack him face on and launch him back. He bounced off the floor and rolled a couple of times before stopping in an undignified heap. Naruto noted his health had taken a whopping 23% hit and he cursed when he found himself paralyzed thanks to the **Spore**.

He saw the Ochu crouching slightly and his eyes widened in panic when he saw the behemoth plant _launch_ itself into the air, aiming to crush him underneath. Thankfully, Lisbeth had seen him get hit and quickly rushed to his position and dragged him away just before the boss landed where he once was. The force behind the attack sent them both flying away as Naruto quickly regained control of his body and spun them around so he would take most of the damage and protect her. He sighed when her health hadn't dipped from green and rested on a respectable 82%... in contrast to his 47%. She quickly gave him a potion to drink as Kirito quickly moved in front of them to try and keep its attention.

"Hey! I feel really sorry for your mom when she gave birth to you! I mean... I bet she couldn't tell if she slapped your ass or your _face_!" Kirito smugly **Provoke** d, thanking his lucky(?) stars that aggro shifted from Naruto to him. Kirito dodged the incoming vines as he deftly avoided them all before capitalizing on Naruto's previous shot and aim for its lower jaw again. It screeched in pain before it jumped back a little. Naruto, who had gotten back on his feet, hit his **Scan** ability once more.

 **HP: 12307/25000**

"Keep an eye on those vines. If they connect, it'll hit you with paralysis spores; just like the saplings." Naruto warned as he saw his health back up to 77%. "Ideally, we need to take them down above all-" he began before the Ochu suddenly screeched loudly; dazing them all for a few seconds as a wave of Seedlings and Saplings appeared before them. "How the _fuck_ is this a level eight dungeon!?" Naruto rhetorically asked as he quickly dashed in, brandishing his sword as he placed it behind him in a swinging stance. "Aaaaargh! **[Silver Cyclone!]** " he roared as he ran into the middle of the group and swung his zanbatō in a circle while landing hits against a majority of the seedlings and taking a good third of them out in one move. He couldn't move for two seconds afterwards but Kirito and Lisbeth both honed in on his location and quickly took care of the remaining minions and leaving themselves with the boss once more.

Their eyes narrowed when it started to shuffle a little bit and noticed orange pollen appear and fly into the air and straight for them. The three hastily retreated, knowing it was its **Spores** and preferred _not_ to end up paralyzed. It kept it up for a minute spreading all over the floor, apart from where it stood. Lisbeth zoomed in on this fact as she brandished her mace in a relaxed stance. "The floor is full of its spores but the area its standing on hasn't been touched by it. The only way I can think of pulling this off is-" she began but soon stopped by Naruto, knowing where she was going.

"One of us will need to go into the spore and get paralyzed so I can launch you both to knock the boss back and claim the untouched area its standing on, right?" Naruto finished, noting the slight flinch in her eyes and guilty look for suggesting such a thing. Her eyes snapped up to his when he simply smiled at her and rubbed her head. "That's fine. I got hit a few times so I have a little resistance right now. I'm better to do this than you both are. Keep exposing myself to it and I should build up a temporary immunity." he figured, earning a short nod from Kirito. "Right!" he grinned with a glint in his eyes as he ran forward a few steps and leaped into the air and landed down with his sword held out horizontally as the paralysis hit him again. "Go!"

Lisbeth wasted no time as she took a running start and cleared the distance to reach Naruto's position and launch herself off the sword and swing her mace around a few times before positioning it into a batter's swing. "Hey, batta', batta', batta', batta'-" she started before spinning in the air and smacking the Ochu on the side of its head with a critical hit and knocking it away from its position, enough to make the untouched area accessible, "Swiiiiing~!" she giggled as she landed safely in the zone. Kirito had to laugh at the ridiculousness of her attack but soon followed suit as the two now resided in their small area. They turned to Naruto to see him take slow steps towards them, growing quicker as the paralysis was losing potency on him.

Kirito saw the Ochu coming back with all of his vines coming at them; cursing it for being smart to play a ranged game knowing they couldn't move from where they are. Thankfully for them, the vines were relatively easy to cut down, taking the remaining five vines out and lowering its health down to the final bar and into the red. They saw the boss leap into the air, aiming to crush them both, but they noted the blonde rush to their position and stab his sword into the ground and hid behind it. Soon as he did, a golden glow appeared around him that soon transferred to the other two players. The attack landed but the Ochu hit the sword and found it _withstanding_ its attack and made no ground progress on them. Naruto's health dented by a good 17%, knocking him back down to 60%, while Kirito and Lisbeth both only lost 2% thanks to Naruto's new skill.

Taking another potion, he quickly pulled his sword out and began hacking away at the overgrown plant boss with deep-slashing attacks that left it screeching after each hit as he would attack the weakest spot; its mouth. The other two got the same idea as they kept up the offensive onslaught and keeping the Ochu on the defensive. They did well as the Ochu jumped back once more, away from them. Naruto used this opportunity to scan it once more to see how much was left.

 **HP: 3534/25000**

"It's just over thirty-five hundred health left." Naruto commented as he sheathed his sword and pulled out his gloves and equipped them. "Thanks to my immunity to his **Spore** , I'm no longer worried about its effects as I've developed immunity to it." he smirked. "Sit back and watch the fireworks!" he grinned as he burst off in a yellow flash and immediately appeared underneath the Ochu and knocked it into the air. Cracking his knuckles, he appeared underneath it and used his incredible leg strength to kick the boss upwards and over to where the remaining two party members stood. After a series of seven kicks juggling it over to them, he landed a quick **Mug** attack. He then nodded to the final two as they all drew their weapons and readied their final combo.

Seeing the boss coming down towards them, Lisbeth smirked as she pulled off a familiar stance but it was reversed to what it normally was. **"[Inverted Power Strike]!"** she shouted, starting with a blow from above and slamming the mace right down on its head, stunning it. Following after her, Kirito pulled off another **Rising Strike** and launched it into the air once more, where Naruto had a two-handed grip on the sword and prepped it over his head. Lisbeth jumped into the air as she held her mace out to the side, leaving Kirito gripping his sword towards his left leg and prepared to attack.

 **"[Braver]!/[Annihilating Blow]!/[Vorpal Slash]!"** the three yelled out in unison as their attacks landed home; Liz's attack caused a trail of fire to come out of her weapon as she pierced the right cheek of the monster and flayed a fair bit of its head off as she dragged it upwards, landing a critical hit. Kirito's sword flashed once as he dragged it through the left hand side and caused a deep gash to appear to cut open its left cheek and pierce its mouth. Naruto brought his sword from over his head and cleaved the boss into two clean halves. The three remained airborne as they watched the boss split into two before exploding into pixels that soon vanished along with the spore on the ground.

 **~Congratulations! You've cleared the dungeon!~**

 **Exp: +15000  
Col: +7500  
Item: [Ochu Flower]**

 **~Congratulations! You got the [Last Attack] bonus!~**

 **Naruto: [Forest Guardian's Ring+3]!  
Lisbeth: [Forest Guardian's Cloak+3]!  
Kirito: [Vine Blade+2]!**

 _"Sweeeeeet!"_ Kirito beamed as he immediately equipped his new sword. "I _finally_ get a better drop than you two for once!" he taunted, earning a disapproving frown from the two of them before Naruto's eyes widened slightly.

 **~Congratulations! [Mug] Skill successful!~**

 **Naruto: [Mace of K'jata+4]!**

 **"Eh!?"** the three of them cried out in shock as Naruto quickly opened his inventory menu and noted the drop it was on about. He soon started chuckling as he opened up a trade menu with Lisbeth, trading the new weapon with her. Lisbeth paused for a moment before she looked up into his eyes and found nothing but warmth in them. She softly smiled as she accepted the trade and briefly hugged him for the present; both ignoring the tantrum Kirito was throwing.

 **~Congratulations! You have leveled up!~**

 **Naruto: 4 - 9  
Lisbeth: 4 - 8  
Kirito: 6 - 8**

"Oh, for _fuck sake_!" Kirito growled, earning stupefied looks from the other two as Kirito slowly broke down from the unfairness of it all and cursing about _"Fucking lucky Uzumaki"_ and the like. Thankfully, the three of them were teleported right back to the beginning of the dungeon and outside the cave and back into the field they started on. "You know what? I'm leaving. I'm gonna get a _damn good set_ of drops by myself, because _you-"_ he fumed, pointing at the blonde, "-keep getting so fucking _ridiculously lucky_ and get the _best drops_!" he heaved as he left the party. He flipped them the bird and them stormed off, leaving the two of them blinking owlishly.

"Uh..." Lisbeth started, "What just happened?" she asked, confused about the sudden turn in the raventte's personality.

"I think he's annoyed at my natural luck stat." Naruto explained as he shrugged. Deciding that the two of them had enough excitement for one day, they checked the time; noting they had spent an hour in the dungeon, and it was just coming up to six in the evening. "I'm beat. I just want to wash and grab an early night. Want me to walk with you?" he asked, earning an soft nod from the brunette as they both felt too lazy to walk and decided to use a teleport crystal to take them back to the city.

* * *

 _ **~SAO:AC~**_

* * *

 _ **~Floor One: Town of Beginnings: Inn~**_

Naruto let loose a deep groan the moment he felt the water hit his body and cascaded down his frame. He noted the water felt a bit too 'heavy' and thick but he wouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth. He placed his hands either side of the pipe and simply tilted his head downwards. He enjoyed the times he could just stand under the water and let his problems wash away like nothing else mattered. Deciding that he soaked long enough, he quickly washed himself up and spent a few more moments under the water.

He still had a ton of stat points to spend but he was unsure on how he was going to go about it. He had two classes he needed to take into consideration and he had a variety of skills now, thanks to the past two days. He noted that his melee was pure-offensive and could work with a strength and agility focus. However, his class with his zanbatō was more peculiar; seeing as he had a lot of offensive and supplementary moves with the one defensive mode he had picked up during the fight; **Steelguard**. Yes, he could see that his zanbatō was more designed to fit a tank class but he could see more use from having it as a DPS (Damage Per Second).

He overheard a discussion that the laws of physics here were almost exactly equal to the real world; so in terms of combat, velocity plus strength equals impressive damage output. So with that thought in mind, he decided that it'd be best to distribute his points into his strength, dexterity and agility stats... _once_ he got out of the shower.

He decided to wrap his towel around his waist as he didn't have to worry about anyone seeing him in such a state of undress as there were no-one taking the rooms around him. Kirito had messaged them that he'll be going back to soloing for a little while and simply went on his way. He chuckled from the little tantrum Kirito had earlier but it's what made him ' _him_ '. He quickly stepped out of the shower, thankful that the room was still nice and warm. He closed his door as he slowly took the towel from his waist and quickly ruffled his hair dry before swiping his fingers down to bring up his menu as he locked the door behind him.

* * *

 _ **~SAO:AC~**_

* * *

 _ **~Floor One: Town of Beginnings: Market Place~**_

Naruto smiled as he took in the atmosphere of the evening; despite being stuck in this game, he gave credit to those who decided to make the most of it and provide a pleasant atmosphere for everyone in an attempt to not lose hope. He watched several players walk past in groups or pairs, all turning to him and offering a polite wave; which he returned in earnest. He had found a small restaurant that sold cuisine of every continent and country. While he enjoyed his Japanese food, he will always have a love for Southern-Fried Chicken and the burgers he used to have back in the States. He spotted the place in question but soon stopped when he saw a figure sitting by themselves in the middle of an empty alleyway.

He tilted his head when he noted the posture of the figure; their two arms pressed tightly against their stomach and the slouching of their back. He could see the wince that appeared when they moved and the low rumbling noise coming from their direction. Hoping he wasn't being rude, he quickly switched directions and made his way over to them. "A-Ano, are you alright?" he asked politely, watching as the cloaked figure's head moved to stare at his face.

"I'm okay, thank you." the feminine voice replied.

"You sure? I mean, you're all alone here and you look like you want something to eat but can't afford it if your eyes and body are any indication." he grinned playfully, chuckling softly at the rumble of her stomach as her response. "C'mon, I'll buy you something. No strings attached, no hidden motives." he smiled, offering his hand to her. She stared at it for a few moments but she couldn't help but feel relaxed; he had a warm aura that made her want to believe him. It felt... _safe_.

"O-Okay." she whispered, taking his hand as he lifted her up to her feet. The two of them quickly made their way inside the restaurant and quickly spotted two seats available over in the corner booth, away from prying eyes. The moment the two of them sat down, an NPC waitress came over and asked them their order.

"I'll have two portions of southern fried chicken, a super-large burger and two fries; I'll also take three bowls of spicy chicken ramen, two portions of tonkatsu with dip, and a portion of boiled rice and fried seaweed please!" he smiled, taking note of the stunned look on his guest's face. "What's wrong?" he asked playfully.

"Y-You can _eat_ that much!?" she squeaked in embarrassment. He chuckled sheepishly as he scratched the back of his head in response. She gaped at him a little longer before regaining her composure and glanced down at the menu. "I'll take one of the meat platter for two, please." she shyly asked, earning a smile from the waitress as she bowed and left to prepare their order.

"You know you can take that hood down." he suddenly commented, earning a startled look from her as she didn't expect him to mention that. "No-one's going to see us unless they actively search for you and I doubt you've done something to annoy someone off already." he grinned. She paused for a moment as she looked into his eyes and was honestly surprised that there were no ill-intentions within them. Earning a soft melodic tinkle from her, she lifted her hands to her hood and pulled it down...

Revealing her long chestnut hair that looked as smooth as the best silk he had ever seen. Her matching eyes gave her a much softer look and her small amused smile seemed to fit; innocent yet devious enough to leave you speechless if you gave her chance.

"Now I don't understand how you'd want to hide such a pretty face, miss...?" he complimented before realizing he didn't know her name. She giggled into her hand as she leaned back into her seat.

"Asuna. Asuna Yuki." she smiled, offering her hand to shake.

"Naruto Uzumaki. Pleasure to make your acquaintance." he smiled charmingly at her before breaking off the shake. "So how did you get into this game then?" he asked. She stiffened slightly and Naruto quickly apologized before she assured him it was fine.

"I... I don't have much family contact." she admitted, shocking herself she was being so open to this stranger, "So while my brother was away on a business meeting, he allowed me to play on his NerveGear until he came back. He was another of the Beta testers and had the account already on there. Surprisingly, he chose his avatar after my looks and my name, so it saved a lot of embarrassment on my end." she blushed, giggling at the absurdity of it all. Naruto simply grinned as he softly chuckled as well. "What about you?" she asked in return.

"Well, I was originally supposed to just get the one set but I found a lucky note in my pocket and it turned out I had enough to get two of them." he grinned, stunning the brunette by his ungodly luck. She knew that the games were hard to buy. To find someone who managed to buy _two_ is simply unheard of. "Can you keep a secret?" he asked her, earning a quick nod in response. He lowered himself down and whispered to her; _"On top of that, the two I bought had two of the three SPC's installed in it."_ he grinned.

Now Asuna was floored. Buying two copies of the game was rare enough. Finding one of three special NerveGears while buying the two sets was completely _unreal._ Then what did it mean when the two he had bought had _two_ of the _three_ SCP's? She turned to him slightly and asked a silly question. "Can I know what your luck stat is, please?"

"Luck?" Naruto repeated the unusual request. Nevertheless, he opened his stat page and searched for his specified stat. "Wow. Currently it's sitting on a hundred and fifteen." he smiled.

"I'm staying with you!" she firmly ordered, earning a puzzled look from the blonde. "From that look... you _probably_ don't realize that the combined Luck stats of the party are combined when it comes to drops, crafts and everything else?"

"I never knew, no." he paused, surprised at this tidbit of news. "Explains why me and Liz both get a lot more drops than our friend did when he was with us." he commented with a snicker. She giggled as well, understanding how frustrating it could be. He quickly tapped a few buttons before a text box appeared in front of her.

 _ ***Naruto has sent you a friend request! Accept/Decline?***_

"How could I _possibly_ say no?" she teased slightly as she hit the accept button. He grinned as they noticed the waitress from before making her way over to them with their order. The two teens stared at the food with hunger evident in their eyes. Quickly paying for the hefty meal, the two of them dug in with gusto with a quick 'Itadakimatsu'. "So what weapon do you use, Naruto?" Asuna asked in between mouthfuls of food, eating her order like she hadn't had anything to eat since she had got there.

"I use two, actually." he answered honestly, earning a raised eyebrow. "My 'main' weapon is my zanbatō but my secondary weapon is _myself_." he winked playfully.

"Your secondary weapon is... _yourself_?" she repeated. Her eyes widened when she suddenly clicked on to what he meant when Naruto shook his free hands; showing her that they weren't standard gloves but padded-combat gloves. "Isn't that rather _dangerous_?" she asked. Naruto smiled as he took a quick sip of his water.

"It can be but I know what I'm signing up for. They'll see me and try to disarm me, making them think I'm defenseless." he began explaining, seeing it click in her eyes. "However, they _won't_ be expecting to be just as deadly without a weapon as _with_ one." he winked at her, earning a small tint of pink from her cheek. "So what about you?" he asked, noting a hand-guard on her weapon. "A rapier user? Don't see too many of those these days." he commented with an impressed smile, earning a smile and nod in response.

"You know..." she trailed off as she slowly ate one of her slices of tonkatsu, "You're rather chill to talk to. You know that?" she asked him. Naruto simply nodded as he emptied his mouth before replying.

"A lot of people tell me I have an aura which makes people relax around me. I'm happy." he explained while giving a melancholic smile. "It it provides even a glimmer of hope to people to beat this game, I don't mind taking with everyone and inspiring them all." he smiled warmly, earning a shocked and awed look from the girl across from him. She simply settled for a smile in return as the two continued to discuss over little things while enjoying the meal and the company.

* * *

 ** _~SAO:AC~_**

* * *

 _ **~Floor One: Town of Beginnings: Inn~**_

"Naruto, you don't have to do this..." Asuna shyly protested as she followed behind a smiling blonde as the two of them made their way back to the inn they were staying at. Naruto simply waved it off with a hand as they stepped through the door and entered the threshold.

"Ah! Uzumaki-san!" the NPC replied, "Will you be in need of assistance?" she asked.

"Hai. I'd like to pay on Asuna's behalf for a room. How much would two weeks cost?" he asked, earning a startled squeak from Asuna as she felt like burying herself in a hole and hide away from embarrassment. The NPC giggled as she began writing in the book.

"For two weeks, it'll be a total of 3,500 Col." she replied. Asuna was about to protest but she soon gawked once she saw that Naruto was sitting on six-figures... a _comfortable_ six figures. Naruto handed the money over without a second thought and the NPC smiled knowingly. "Here you go, Asuna-san. Naruto can show you the room as it's the one next door to his." she smiled, bowing. The two thanked her as they soon made their way up the stairs.

The two of them made their way up to the second floor of the inn and walked right down to the bottom of the hallway, just before the windows. "Right. This is your room and you have your key already." he explained, pointing to the door that was on the right hand side. "I'm just across you if you need me for anything, okay?" he asked, earning a soft nod and a warm smile from the chestnut-haired woman. "Then I shall let you be. Sweet dreams, _Asuna-chan_." he smiled before making his way to his room.

She paused for a few moments; catching her by surprise when he used such a close honorific with her after only meeting with him and him offering her food. A logical part of her told her to be weary of him but her heart disagreed totally. He had been nothing but generous and had offered her food and a place to stay. She didn't tell him she hadn't eaten since the beginning of the game, nor had she slept. So she was incredibly thankful for all that Naruto had done for her. Making her way into her room, she simply sighed and collapsed onto the bed, moaning at the feel of something soft beneath her instead of a bench. Deciding to skip a shower for tonight, she quickly disrobed herself and scrambled into her bed.

It wasn't even five minutes before she fell asleep, dreaming of a generous and handsome blonde she met that evening.

* * *

 _ **~SAO:AC~**_

* * *

 _ **(Uzumaki Residence: Living Room)**_

"Are you sure about this?"

We currently find two figures sitting down on the matching two-piece black-leather sofas that were placed in the middle of the room. The first figure, an elderly man who was donned in a white robe and matching hamaka bottoms, softly sipping on his jasmine tea as he gauged the response he would get from the figure sitting opposite him. His hair was short and spiked but the colour was a nice combination of his natural brown and his aged grey hair, giving him a more 'wise-like' look to him. Across of him sat Kazuko and she linked her hands together and rested her head on top of them.

"You, of all people, should know just how dangerous your request is and how _fatal_ it can be if you don't succeed." he gently warned her, earning a small 'hum' of agreement.

"I know, Saru-jiji." she replied, closing her eyes as her head and heart warred against one another again. "But I _can't_ stay here while Naruto-nii is in the game and is fighting for his life. I-I'd feel useless out here and I would rather be in the game and by his side." she professed, earning a silence from Hiruzen as he took another sip.

"I would dissuade you from this decision as I care greatly for your well-being..." he started, earning the attention of the redhead as she looked up at him. "However, I am not cruel enough to deny someone's heartfelt wishes to save the person that they love." he smiled, opening his aged brown orbs that twinkled with pride for his surrogate-granddaughter. "Very well, I will train you. I will push you to your limits and I will see nothing less than you persevering through those limits and continuing onwards, still. If I would ask five hundred lunges, I will expect you to give me six." he commented, smiling warmly at the fires that lit up her amber eyes in determination of saving her brother.

"I will give you nothing less, Sarutobi-sensei." she proclaimed with a grin before bowing to him in her seat. _'Wait for me, Naruto-kun. I'll be there soon.'_

* * *

 _ **~Chapter End!~**_

* * *

 _ **And done! Chapter two uploaded for you all! Surprised I've had such a wonderful response from this, already! A lot of people are liking the idea of Naruto replicating Cloud and it would prove to be awesome to see how it pans out!**_

 _ **The chapter seems a little... off... for some odd reason but I want to address a matter first;  
**_

 _ **Everything I'm writing is simply the set-up for the later plot. Being introduced to one or two people won't be bad but he will mainly fall into the solo-player group with a craft skill under his wraps so he can make money on the go. So please bear with me as I'm likely to work on an edit for this chapter, already.  
**_

 _ **Tired Kitsune crashing for the night! *purrs* ^_^**_


	3. Crafting is an Art Form!

_**Yo! Yes, this is NOT a trick of the eyes! It is another chapter update! This one was already in the wings and I needed to make a small change to it. Found something, started typing, kept ON typing and now finished this chapter!**_

 _ **Took me a good six hours to edit and type, so I hope that this isn't badly typed up because my mind is sleep-addled. Anyway! Chapter Three! Read! Go! :P**_

* * *

 ** _~Chapter Three~  
~Crafting is an Art Form!~_**

* * *

 _ **~Floor One: Town of Beginnings: Market Place~**_

 _"_ Are you sure this is a good idea?" Asuna asked as she followed behind her newly made friend as the two of them made their way through the marketplace. Unlike the previous night, it was much quieter than it was due to to the players making use of the daytime and gone out into the areas to farm their levels. Naruto spun on his heel as he began to walk backwards from them while placing his hands behind his head. The two had decided to allow themselves two days off before grinding with Asuna to try and bump her levels up quickly so she could catch up.

"It can go both ways but it's something I need to do." Naruto admitted, not really wanting to do this but knowing it would prove much better down the line if he did. "I asked Kirito a favor and he pointed me in a direction to find someone I can talk to about my _problem_." he commented, noticing the queer look he was getting. "My grandfather's student, Jiraiya, is known to be well-connected in the real world and he's often the one I go to to know about anything that concerns gossip and information on other people. It's the same with the game; _'Knowing the battle is half the battle won.'_ So he's sent me to an ' _acquaintance_ ' of his to try and work on taking a page form his book and get an information network up and running." he finished explaining, earning an impressed from the chestnut-haired woman as they continued to walk down.

The two of them found themselves walking past a few groups of players and received a few waves in greeting, returning them in kind. Naruto smiled as he saw the looks of determination that settled in their eyes as they decided to make use of this opportunity and do their best to help everyone exit this game. His heart went out to the people who had fallen into despair and had stopped trying in hopelessness. There had been a mass jump in the rate of suicide and around nine-hundred players found this too much and had committed the act, shutting down their bodies for real.

Shaking his head from the more morbid thoughts, he returned his gaze to Asuna; who kept giving him concerned glances. He smiled at the her and nodded, showing her he was okay. Turning back to the market place, the main lane was empty and several of the stalls were closed until later on that evening, leaving a few of the NPC's simply sitting down and lazing about until they have a customer to sell to. As they continued walking down, they noticed a slight gap in between two of the walls and noted a small figure who had perched themselves on a stack of crates that had been haphazardly dumped there. The figure was hooded and a heavy cloak covered their frame but the main things he could notice was the whisker marks and the small playful smile on her face as she lazily swung a leg off the boxes.

"Well what do we have here, sa~?" the _female_ voice spoke up, cracking open one of her dark amber eyes and glanced down at them with interest. Her attention immediately zoned in on the blonde male and his whiskered cheeks, similar to hers but not quite. "A couple of potential _clients_ looking for some information?" she grinned playfully. Naruto quickly noted a fellow prankster in his midst and knew he could enjoy this a bit more than he thought he would. Shifting his pose a little, he looked up towards her with a glint in his eyes that had her grinning like mad.

"Well, a friend of mine told me _you're_ the best at gathering information in this game. I hope he wasn't _exaggerating_ about your credentials." Naruto baited, smirking as she widened her eyes before narrowing them slightly as a calculating glint appeared in her amber orbs. She deftly leaped down the boxes with practiced ease before standing on the last crate to level her height with his, noticing that she was looking into his eyes rather intensively.

"It depends on who this _friend_ of yours is~" she responded in a sing-song voice.

"Kirito." Naruto smirked, noticing the slight anger in her eyes at the mention of the name and the low angry hiss that escaped through her clenched teeth. "Oh no. Not you too?" he rhetorically asked, earning a short growl from the petite blonde as she stomped her foot down and screamed.

" _Of course_ it'd be that Kiri- _baka_! Nothing but a-" she fumed before Naruto interrupted her with a smile.

"Egotistical, nihilistic, narcissistic, _unbearably_ sarcastic and the mother of all _fuckwits_ to have ever have graced the world; out there and in here?" he finished, earning a blank look from the new figure just before she burst out into uncontrolled laughter. She had to smile at him; one sentence and she likes him already! Holding her sides for a few moments as she continued to cry with laughter, Asuna took a few steps forward and poked Naruto in the shoulder.

"Urm, who's Kirito?" she asked.

"Kirito is a friend of mine and my sister back in real life. Despite being really handy when you desperately need him, everything I just said about him is him down to a tee." Naruto explained quickly. "You'll probably encounter him sooner than you think and you'll see just what we mean." he cautioned her, earning a giggle and a short nod. The two turned to a weak-kneed blonde as she wiped the tears from her eyes and tried regaining control of her body after the blonde's comment. She chuckled a few more times before she regarded him with another grin on her face.

"Now _that_? Was a good comment, sa~! I'll have to remember that one for next time." she complimented. "So what do you need?"

"I'd like to make a little... _business_ proposition." he grinned, leaning slightly into her face. She paused before letting loose a loud guffaw before she narrowed the distance even closer between them; leaving only enough room between the two of them for a few inches. "Name's Naruto Uzumaki; part-time professional masseuse, seller of women's underwear and experienced card dealer."

"Argo, no last name; information-broker, full-time _professional_ nymphomaniac-for-hire and taster of fine whiskeys." the now identified Argo grinned back at the impressive introduction as she cupped her chin with her hand. "So you've mentioned a business proposition, hmm~? What're you going to offer for my _services_?" she purred, licking her lips slightly and taking much enjoyment from the little back and forth teasing between the two.

Naruto had to admit that she could very well be telling the truth and he would later admit he had felt an attraction to his fellow blonde, seeing how good she was with the flirting. Releasing a rare charming grin, he closed the distance so that their noses were touching, causing the two of them to chuckle slightly at the boldness on each other. Naruto awaited the reaction he would get when he threw down the kicker.

"I want to be your _official sponsor_." Naruto grinned, stopping the girl in her tracks with a 'deer-caught-in-headlights' look. "I know the three main factors for a good information network; contacts, resources and money. So I'm willing to throw you some Col for a good cause, ' _ttebayo_." he teased as he lightly tapped her cheek before making a bit more distance between them.

For a few seconds, all silence prevailed in the area as the two women stood there in shock. Asuna was shocked he would want to sponsor someone, while Argo simply stood there in stunned silence as the words slowly sunk in and repeated itself in her head.

"M-My... _sponsor_?" she timidly asked, not believing it to be true. "Nice try, _Whiskers_ , but as amazing as an opportunity that sounds-" She didn't receive a verbal response but she noted her trade menu open up and saw the figure of Col slowly rise from four digits... to _five_ digits... to _six_. In that one moment, the near unbreakable and spunky Argo stood in shock at the generosity of the blonde male before him.

That one moment her whole facade broke down as she leaped at the blonde, who only just managed to catch her as he was almost bowled over by the flying tackle hug. Asuna stood stunned at the sudden move but her eyes softened when she saw that Argo had started crying with tears of joy in her eyes. She stayed in his arms for a few minutes before letting go and wiping her eyes; accepting the trade menu as she pocketed the four-hundred thousand Col straight into her inventory.

She wouldn't admit it to herself but she doubted he would have had any idea what it would take to set up a good information network; even harder in a game where your life balances on a mirror's edge. Yet she found herself stumped when he practically took her expectations and threw them out the window. He was right; setting up a good business was always difficult because you need a bargaining chip first, which gives you the information you need to sell to others and make a profit. For a man to come out of the blue and, not only _wanting_ to sponsor her; he had even given her Col he had _worked for_ just because he wanted to help her out.

Yes, there may be ulterior motives and he would want something in return but that's a given. Nothing in life is free. Nonetheless, her plans for getting the network up and running would come around _much_ _faster_ than it would've originally planned. And the fact that _he did_ _it?_ That had immediately put the blonde up there right at the top of people she trusted and majorly respected.

"This should be enough to get you going for now. Make the starting deals with contacts, gather some information on rare skills and quests and I'll _even_ help you out with a few bits and bobs I've learned if it'll help you out." Naruto continued as he slowly took in the trembling form of the fellow blonde.

"I-I'd ask such a stupid question right now." she softly spoke as her glistening orbs stared back into his sapphire blue, "I'd ask if you were an angel because there's _no-one_ I have ever met who would go out of their way to do something like this." Argo chuckled while wiping her tears away. "Consider yourself a friend for life, _Whisker-kun~_ " she smiled, putting her grin back on her face, much brighter than before. Naruto returned it with a similar grin of his own. "I'm curious as to how you were able to get so much Col already. It's been, what? Two days?" she asked.

"Ah," Naruto chuckled as he knew this would be a kicker, "That would probably be my natural Uzumaki luck factor. Most recognizable would be Yoshika Uzumaki; being infamous for breaking two casinos in a matter of one hand of cards. Apparently, I've inherited his luck factor." he explained, earning a suspicious look from Argo.

"Prove it. What's your Luck stat on?" she asked. Naruto shrugged as he opened his stat page up and quickly scrolled down to find said stat and expand it for the blonde to see. _"H-Hundred and fifteen!?"_ she cried out in shock from the absurd luck this guy must have! It scared her slightly as his luck stat will increase the higher his levels go up and find the most obscure and rare items in this game...

"Probably helped with my **Mug** skill as well. It's a combination of agility and luck for the move to hit off and steal an item from an enemy if it lands with a melee attack. the only stipulation for this is that it can only be used once on an enemy and it must be either the penultimate or last attack for it to work." Naruto explained, earning a quick confused look as Argo opened up the Ability Directory and noticed that **Mug** had been made a semi-exclusive move, credited for by Naruto Uzumaki.

"That sounds like a handy skill, _Whiskers_!" Argo grinned. "An _Original Skill_ as well! This goes to show that you are just full of-" she started before she paused. "Wait a second. Why is it I can smell fox?" Argo pondered loudly, sniffing the air slightly before finding her attention turned to a slightly nervous Naruto. "You've _got_ to be kidding me." she smiled with amusement clear in her voice as Naruto's shoulders slumped in defeat. "C'mon, this will be _strictly confidential_." she promised him, holding her pinky out.

"You show me yours and I'll show you mine." he responded, not taking no for an answer. Argo simply laughed as she slowly removed her cloak and revealed herself properly for the first time. She stood in a rather revealing armor that left a lot of her legs on show; a white pad around her right thigh and a mixture of olive green and blue cloth that criss-crossed over her leg.

Her top half had an olive green 'x' going over her bust area, hiding her boobs, while draped over the top with a blue material that was similar to a shawl. Over her right shoulder was a shoulder drape that fell over her arm. Her hair was fully on show; revealing a similar shaggy style blonde that Naruto had. Asuna found herself looking on in confusion of the conversation and simply settled to what was going to happen.

He shook his head as he wrapped his pinky with hers before his features made themselves known. Unlike normal fox-ears, his had changed slightly so that the ears were slightly longer and had black streaks running across an gold background, similar to that of a fennec fox. The main thing that shocked her was his tail...

... no wait; _tails_. As in _all nine of them._

"Ohmygod! Your tails are _sooooo_ fluffy~!" Argo purred as she took it to rubbing her face in the magnificence that was Naruto's bundle of tails. Naruto simply chuckled before he retracted his features, yelping slightly when a few fur strands were yanked out of his tail. "These will actually sell well, ya know?" Argo provided, noting that they had already been integrated into the game's inventory list; _**[Kyūbi'** **s Blesséd Fur]**_. Naruto rubbed his lower back as he willed the pain to fade. "These would be really good to make some really good gear later on when you come across someone with a high-enough **Sewing** skill." she mentioned.

"Why don't _you_ take up **Sewing**?" Asuna spoke up, bringing attention to her. "I-I mean it'd make sense; you have something to work on when you're not managing the network and you develop another steady source of income that'll help you sustain the funding and you can also make deals with certain people and offer a discount for information and to pass them on to you." she suggested, earning two approving nods and smiles from the duo-blondes.

"That's a pretty good shout, Asuna-chan." Naruto complimented her, winning a smile from her.

"I know another player who's looking to make **Sewing** her main class and she's already on five-hundred in terms of mastery." Argo let loose a small tidbit, earning two pairs of shocked eyes in response. "I know. I'm thinking of keeping these for her to use but... the idea of a craft class _does_ have merit, sa~" she trailed off as she send a glance to Asuna, silently appraising her for her ingenious idea.

"Naruto-kun? Why do you have an animal form?" Asuna spoke up, confused to the current revelation that her latest friend had the ability to transform into a half-kitsune. She understood that the whiskers on his face made him look like a fox so she knew he had a strong affiliation with them but... it didn't explain this.

"I honestly have no idea. I only discovered this by accident yesterday evening in the shower and I wanted to keep it a secret for a little while longer." he explained, giving a pointed stare to Argo who had the decency to chuckle with a sheepish expression and a hand behind her head. "It surprised me as well but I'm getting the feeling that we're gonna be targeted for all these rare abilities of ours and knowing the current stigma placed on the Beta's..." he trailed off, noting a slight wince coming from Argo.

"Asuna-chan?" he called out, earning the brunette's attention, "D'you wanna grab a bite to eat with me and Argo? I'll pay for the three of us." he offered.

"Oh, _Ruto_ - _kun_ ~! Inviting lil' ol' me out to dinner, sa~? Tempting me with food so you can easily _have you way_ with me, ne~?" she seductively purred as she pressed herself close to him. He simply winked before lightly tapping her forehead with his fingers. "Mou~" she cutely pouted. "I wouldn't refuse you, ya know~?" she grinned with a slight lick of her lips.

"Now-now, Argo- _chan_. I'll be giving you a little scope on my abilities and the juicy gossip I've come across; I'm stripping myself bare for you to see _everything_ of me and make you a _very happy woman~!_ " he lowly growled, sending a shiver up her spine from how _sexy_ his voice sounded right then. Regardless, she was still a woman and one with needs; and his voice was sending very _pleasant_ sensations through her body. Asuna was openly blushing as the mental images going through her head were that of mature-rated images and she had to press her hand to her nose to stem the blood from escaping.

She closed the distance once more, smiling at his widened eyes when she had gotten close enough for their hips to touch and her boobs to mash against his, slightly. Her eyes widened slightly at the _monster_ she could feel near her groin and smirked devilishly as she slowly shook her dirtier thought out her head before she lost herself.

"Be careful. One of these days I may lose my self-restraint and _take you up_ on that offer~" she grinned with a small wink as her fingers crawled up his chest, earning a laugh from both blondes. _'I honestly think that this is the start of a beautiful relationship.'_ the info-broker thought to herself as she grabbed a seat and whipped out her notepad. "Lay it on me, _Ruto-kun_ ~!"

The two paused at hearing a strangled squeal from next to them, only to panic at the sight of Asuna bleeding from her nose. Naruto was about to make a comment before he stopped for a few seconds. Argo and Asuna both watched him for his reaction before noticing a predatory grin appear on his face.

 _"Ne, does Asuna-chan have ecchi thoughts of me and Argo-chan? Does Asuna-chan want to join us as we make wet and steamy love to one another? Or does Asuna-chan want Argo-chan for herself and me as a side-dish, hmm?"_ he teased mercilessly to her and driving the nail home as steam poured out of her ears and caused her to faint. He managed to catch her before falling; all the while, Argo was in tears once more at his blunt statements and impressive flirting skills. She found him refreshing as not many people could handle her 'nympho-side' but seeing him take that in stride and reply to it in form... it was _wonderful_.

 _'A beautiful relationship, indeed, sa~!'_

* * *

 _ **~SAO:AC~**_

* * *

While the three of them were enjoying each other's company in the marketplace, Lisbeth found herself walking towards her personal destination with confidence shining in her eyes as she quickly picked up the pace. She had heard from a few of the NPC's about a special kind of quest that was only available for crafting classes and quickly made her way towards the small stand that would be the beginning point of said quest.

"Hello there!" she smiled brightly, earning the attention of the female NPC that looked up at her.

"Hello! How may I help you today?" she asked in response.

"Actually, I was wondering if I could help _you_ out." Lisbeth smiled as she shifted her weight onto her right leg and placed her hand on her hip in a confident pose. She grinned mentally when she saw a quest-marker pop up in front of her.

"Well, now that you mention it... if it's not too much trouble, I want to ask you if you could make some wares for me to sell." she explained as her eyes simmered down lightly. "I-I've been trying to run this shop to make money for my grandfather as he needs Col for an operation on his eyes. He only has a few weeks left before he passes the point of no return and becomes fully blind..." she trailed off as unshed tears glistened in her copper orbs. She looked up in shock when she found a hand softly placed on her shoulder.

"I'm sure I can help you out. _Buuuut_..." she trailed off, thinking of an ingenious idea to get an answer to a question she's been asking for a while. "Is it okay if I bring someone along to help me with this?" she asked, earning a shocked look from the NPC but chuckled inwardly when her copper orbs lit up in hope.

"I-If you can, then of course! Neither of you will go unrewarded as I will teach you both everything I know about managing your own shop and a skill to help you both with your sales!" she replied with a soft smile on her face. Lisbeth nodded with a grin as she smacked her fist in her palm.

"Yosh! How much will you need?" she asked.

"It depends on what your crafts are. If you bring your friend with you, then we can go from there." the NPC replied with tears. Lisbeth simply nodded as she opened up her menu and sent a quick message to the only person she had on her friend's list. "Are you sure about this person, miss?" she asked, curious as to why she asked for the additional help.

"Give him time but I'm sure he'll be here soon. If my initial judgement of him is right, then he'll be _just_ the person you'll need." Lisbeth winked in response, finding herself (nicely) surprised in just how much faith she had in him.

* * *

 _ **~SAO:AC~**_

* * *

"... and, of course, he storms off after cursing me out for landing the **Mug** attack and storms off after finding out that her weapon was better than his!" Naruto chuckled as he retold the story of his dungeon run yesterday, earning two bursts of laughter from the two women sitting with him in the same booth in which Asuna and he were in yesterday evening.

"O-Oh!" Argo laughed as she held her sides, crying with laughter from the story, "I would've _paid_ to have taken a photo of his face!" she commented freely. Asuna wasn't fairing much better as she giggled with tears in her eyes as well, knowing and understanding the frustration he would've felt. Naruto shook his head as he chuckled before looking into his fellow blonde's eyes once more.

"Hang around with me long enough and you'll have all the chances you'd _like_!" he commented with a fanged grin, making her pay attention to him once more as she found her arousal spiking once more.

"With Kiri-bou... or with _you_ , sa~?" she whispered as she leaned in closer to his face. Asuna shook her head at the broker's attempt at flirting but was secretly annoyed at how open and how _pressing_ she was about trying to bed the handsome blond. With that thought, she froze at just how honest she was being with herself.

"Asuna-chan? You alright?" Naruto asked, concerned for her as he noticed her locking up in her seat. Her golden orbs found themselves looking into the deepest pair of sapphire that left her momentarily mesmerized as she spaced out. She snapped back when Naruto snapped his fingers and shook her head.

"I-I'm fine! I just spaced out..." she trailed off, glancing away from him. He frowned from the action but found himself halted from making any reaction when his inbox notification appeared. The small 'ding' alerted the other two girls as to what was going on as he opened up his messages, surprised to find out that it came from Lisbeth.

 **Sender: Lisbeth**

 **Re: Quest help!**

 **Hey, Whiskers! I had a source tell me about a crafting quest that leads to a pretty nifty skill for crafting classes and I was wondering if you'd like to tag along and help out! There's some good rewards here and I heard there's a _'Limited Skill'_ up for grabs as well!**

 **Remembering your Luck stat, I'm hoping we can kill two birds with one stone as we can quickly grind our levels up and also get a hefty bonus for good work!**

 **And I _finally_ get to see your crafting class! Mwahahaha!**

 **Liz~**

"A crafting quest, sa~?" Argo perked up, intrigued by the sudden find. "I haven't heard of one until now so it may either be a new addition to the game or it's something that's escape my notice..." she trailed off with an odd-gleam in her eyes, one Naruto knew _all_ too-well. "I suppose I shall have to find a crafting skill pretty quickly if I want to make the most of this." she quipped playfully.

Asuna paused for a moment as she had been planning to take up **Cooking** and raise her skill in that, so it would allow her to make food in the game for her friends and also make foods with buffs for when they're out fighting. She nodded as she found things falling nicely into place from this and quickly turned to face the sole male of the trio. "Naruto, could I come and help as well? I may not have much skill but I'm looking to level my **Cooking** skill up and..." she trailed off, losing confidence.

"Of course!" Naruto beamed as he grinned at her, making her look up to him. In that moment, Asuna found all her fears washing away as she basked in his 'aura' that screamed warmth and encouragement. She soon found herself not wanting to disappoint the faith he was placing in her and wanted to do the very best she could. Argo also felt the 'aura' about him and she found herself mesmerized by it, knowing that he would make a great leader-figure in the game. He quickly opened up his messages menu and sent a quick reply back to her before closing the menu down.

"That then leaves the question of what _your_ crafting class is, Naruto- _kun_." Asuna playfully nudged Naruto, earning a mock pout that sent the two into giggles. He didn't last long as he chuckled alongside them as well.

"I haven't told Liz because she was so persistent on finding out what I've chosen." he commented with a small playful grin. "I've taken up the **Goldsmith** crafting class, allowing me to make accessories and charms for people to equip." he smiled, earning an awed look from Asuna and an impressed look from Argo.

"Geez, _Whisker-kun_ , you've really thought this game through. Not even a week in and you've taken to the game like a true vet." Argo complimented with her respect for him increasing for his foresight into matters. She was worried that it would come back to bite him on the ass from how much pressure he was putting on himself but she believed that he wouldn't do so much if he couldn't handle it.

"Well, what can I say?" he shrugged. "I understand that people will be looking for gear as the fights get progressively harder and people with Col will spend it on the latest items and the best stat-boosting gear they can, without leaving them short." he explained, drawing the two's attention on him once more. "While overlooked, I know that I can get good enough to add effects to them that will fit any kind of scenario that players will face. _That_ is what people will pay handsomely for." he smirked.

"... and I thought my respect for you couldn't get any higher." Argo simply grinned as she looked straight into his sapphire eyes. "Simply amazing, sa~!"

 _"Incredible..."_ Asuna whispered out as she took in all he had spoken about, finding herself amazed at the insight he had into things. She admired people who were hard-workers and she could see the desire to help everyone get out of this game within his eyes, and she would believe that he would be the one to lead everyone to freedom and back to the real world. He chuckled sheepishly as a hand reached to the back of his neck and lightly scratched it, a nervous habit of his as he was unaccustomed to taking praise well.

"Well, shall we grab a bite before seeing what this quest is about?" Naruto perked up, earning two rumbling sounds from the women as his response. Just in time as three large platters of food appeared before them all. The three stared down the food like rabid animals, quickly shouting 'Itadakimasu' before making short work of the food in front of them.

* * *

 _ **~SAO:AC~**_

* * *

 ** _(Time Skip: One Hour)_**

 ** _~Floor One: Horunka Village~_**

Lisbeth found herself annoyed as she slumped down on the crate she was sitting on, her chin resting on her palm as she _patiently_ waited for him to arrive. She had sent the invitation to him because she thought it would help him out but she soon discovered that it may have just been better to do it herself and reap the rewards for herself. She let out a huff before her thoughts were broken out by a voice she knew quite well...

 _"Liz!"_

She turned her head to find the unmissable blond-spiked hair walking towards her, releasing a smile she didn't realize she was wearing as she made her way to meet him in the middle. Her curiosity spiked when she realized he wasn't on his own but her instincts kicked in when she realized that they were _women_. Feeling uncharacteristically possessive, she leaped up to him and quickly grabbed his right arm and smashed it into her chest as she looked up to him with a grin on her face.

"Took you long enough, _Whiskers!_ " she chided lightly. "You made me wait _an hour_ for you!"

"I did tell you we were in the middle of eating when you sent the message. Not only that, you were rather... _vague_ on directions." Naruto deadpanned as he slowly pried his arm out of her chest, hiding his blush from how soft her chest felt. He blushed lightly at the thought and quickly shook his head. Unfortunately, Lisbeth had seen it and mentally smirked.

" _Ara ara?_ Did you enjoy that, _Na-ru-to-kun~?_ " she playfully sang as she leaned in close to him. She was shocked to find herself staring into a pair of amber eyes that held a dangerous glint to them.

"Yo, _Whisker-kun_? How about some introductions to your _friend_ , sa~?" she asked sweetly. _Too_ sweetly. Naruto knew he was in a dangerous situation and knew he would likely get the brunt of the damage, so he sighed in defeat as he glanced to Asuna giving him a weak smile and shrug in response.

"Argo, this is Lisbeth. She's the girl who ran with me yesterday and is also the blacksmith to be I told you about. Liz, this is Argo and Asuna. Argo is an information broker in the game and Asuna is someone I met yesterday in an alley." he commented, finding himself face-planting the floor thanks to a hit on the back of his head.

"B-Baka!" Asuna squeaked in embarrassment. "Don't make it out to be so _sketchy_!" she moaned as she hid her face. Liz simply grinned at the two of them but found herself weary of the blonde in front of her and decided to let it be... _for now_.

"Ara ara, it's just Naruto's charm and natural idiocy." Liz waved off, earning giggles from the two girls there.

"Oh _sure_! I do y'all a favour and this is how I'm repaid?" he grumble with a rain cloud over his head, drawing circles into the digital earth beneath him. The three girls continued to giggle before notifications popped up for the three newcomers:

 _ ***Lisbeth has sent you a party invite! Accept/Decline?***_

The three of them clicked on the accept button as the party list came up in their peripheral vision, listing all of their names and what levels they currently were. Asuna was only a level six but was still impressive for a girl who had been running on no sleep or food for the past few days. Lisbeth had gained a level, now sitting on level ten. Naruto was next up as he sat on an impressive twelve...

But the three of them were shocked to find Argo already sitting on level _fifteen_. Naruto quickly clicked on as to why and simply chuckled, earning the attention of the three women with him. Waving the matter off, he turned to Lisbeth and grinned to her. "Well then, lead the way, _Mistress!_ "

"Oh, _bite me!_ That nickname will be the death of me..." Lisbeth grumbled in response as she quickly snapped her head back to the NPC who had been watching the interaction with amusement in her eyes as her soft tinkling laugh sounded. The NPC quickly took note of Naruto and paused for a split second before smiling once more.

 _ ***Mission difficulty increased!***_

The three women paused and chose a moment to stare at an uncomfortable Naruto who whistled innocently while looking anywhere but at the three. He 'noticed' their stares and simply shrugged in a 'what-can-I-do' motion. "Part of the deal." he bluntly commented, earning three sighs before they turned back to the NPC.

"So we have a blacksmith, a culinarian, a goldsmith and a leatherworker, hmm?" she commented, earning some startled looks from them all as they turned to one another. "Quite a diverse group we have but it will be a good variety of wares to make and sell. As there's so many of you, I want to give you all something to help with your crafitng classes on top of the reward I promised you." she smiled as she bowed politely to the four of them.

 ** _*Quest! - One Good Turn...*_**

 ** _Help out the young woman by making one-hundred sale-quality items to help raise money for her grandfather's operation!  
_**

 ** _Reward (per item): 200 Col  
_**

 ** _Quest Reward: +5 Skill Points, 5000 Col,_ 'Marketing' _Perk,_ 'Eye For Quality' _Perk,_ 'Bartering' _Skill,_ [Crafter's Charm+1]!**

 _ **"One-hundred items!?"** _ the four of them yelled out in shock, seeing the requirements for the quest. Normally, it wouldn't have been so bad if it was just making something and handing it in. Making something of a sellable-quality meant that it needed to be of a high standard in itself. While they grumbled about the increase of difficulty, they didn't mind the bonuses to the mission nor the rewards they'd get in return.

"I-I suppose we can split the list up between us." Asuna softly spoke before her voice grew more confident. "We need to make a hundred items; so with the four of us, we can split that down to twenty-five items each. If we make it, we'll be looking at a nice ten-thousand Col each!" she smiled, earning approving nods from the other three party members.

"Alright. Seeing as we need to make sellable-quality items, I would suggest sticking with things that will prove slightly challenging to make but still be within capability to sell it. Quality over quantity is needed here." Lisbeth commented, earning more nods from the group.

"Ano, I don't have much in terms of materials to make things from..." Asuna quietly mumbled, embarrassed from the lack of preparation. She noted her trade menu pop up in front of her and several ingredients being sent to her from the sole male of the group. She turned to look at him and simply won a smile as her answer. She shook her head in defeat, smiling all the while, as she accepted the meats and honeycombs she had been given and began working on making something edible to sell.

So the four of them sat down in a square formation as they tried to make stuff passable to sell...

Keyword being 'tried'.

Naruto had attempted to make a simple ring but what he imagined and what came out were two completely different things, altogether. Instead of a solid ring, he had produced a rather crude lump of metal that vaguely resembled a ring... if it could be called that. Argo was no better as she tried making a small leather pouch but promptly fell apart upon lifting it up by the handle. Asuna was even worse as she produced a jar of...

Well, _something_.

Honey was never meant to be _green_ in colour, anyways.

Lisbeth sighed as she feared this would happen. She knew that it was something to take up a craft but it was another thing to be able to craft something decent and not just a shabby, two-minute quickie that passes as usable. She halted them all and told them to put everything down as she sat down in front of them.

"It's admirable you guys doing this with me, and I'm thankful for the help..." she trailed off, earning smiles from the three of them. "But you all _suck!_ " she finished, earning three vaults as the three fell over comically with their legs sprawled in the air. "You guys need to understand that there is much more to crafting than banging something together nilly-willy and hoping for it to be any _good_!" she explained, smiling when she had four pairs of eyes on her.

"When you make something, there's three things you _need_ to remember:" she began, bringing up her index finger. "First. Every movement you make should be an extension of yourself. Don't think of it as just crafting, think of it in a way that suits you. A dance, a fight, a flowing movement that feels completely natural with your body." she began her lesson as her second finger joined her first.

"Second. You use the materials you have but you fail to understand the _value_ of the material! While virtual, it's still a loss of life or something taken from the virtual world. Every material has meaning and it has value. When you craft, remember that each ingredient was made and/or given. Whether naturally made or taken from something after its death." she looked at Asuna as she lowered her head in thought.

"Each stone you hold. Each jewel you'll use. It was taken from the rocks you stand on; from the Earth. Pay your respect to the Earth and be thankful for what you are using and bring _honour_ to the Earth with what you make." Liz smiled softly at Naruto, who's eyes had widened slightly. What made her happy was the cogs turning inside his eyes as she could see it clicking and falling in place.

"Every piece of hide or skin had come from something that was alive. A _life_ had been taken for you to use what you have in front of you and it's up to _you_ to give thanks and honour to that which had died so that it would be made into something _worthy_ of the life taken!" she turned to Argo and found the blonde woman looking at her with a small smile and a hint of respect in her eyes. Nodding, she lifted her ring finger to finish her lesson.

"Third. The most important thing is to pour your emotion into _everything_ you make! This girl want items so that she could save her _grandfather's eyesight_! Pour your determination into every swing, every slice, every cut! Make no wasted movements and let the finished product tell the story of how it came to be and let it show the effort and emotion put into _making it_!" she finished, letting loose unbidden tears as she shuddered from the sheer emotion in her own words.

Asuna, Naruto and Argo couldn't help but feel a rush of energy tingle throughout them as they took the blacksmith's words to heart and found themselves gaining a new respect for their crafts and also for the materials they use. They all noted that they had gained a new skill; **Crafter's Gratitude** , which greatly improves the quality of an item and can only be used as the finishing skill. The three of them took the words to heart and nodded to Lisbeth as the four of them began crafting once more, putting her words into practice.

The young woman behind the store soon found her eyes widening in shock at the sudden change of skill and gasped at how well they were making the items she asked for! She could feel it! The emotion! The thankfulness! The _glow_ that seemed to come off each and every item they made! She soon cried tears of joy as she realized that it was thanks to the brunette that they were performing so well!

Asuna took the words spoken to heart as she thanked the lives of each boar that died to give her the meat. Thanking the bees for the honey she was making. She noted that the smell was much more potent than before and that she could _taste_ the improvement as her first jar of **[Gold Honey]** came out in a pure gold colour. Her first piece of **[Tender Boar Steak]** had lefther own mouth watering; feeling the smile of the boar which lost its life to make this steak. Asuna found herself crying tears of joy as she made it her goal to thank everything she would use.

Naruto was in the same boat as his chestnut-haired companion; every tap was placed in great detail, not straining against his movements but flowing _with_ it. He gave thanks to the earth for the materials and poured his will to help the woman out into each stroke. He had completed his first item and he had impressed _himself_ at just how beautiful it looked to be; a **[Silver Necklace]** which had a +2 rating, much to the shock of everyone there. Liz looked at him with pride in her eyes as it simply spurred him to keep up the quality and make many more, while giving thanks for the materials.

Argo closed her eyes as she felt her arm go with the flow of her body as her knife cut the leather with great care and precision, also paying respects to the life lost for this piece of leather. She grinned when she felt her emotions getting the better of her as she finished her craft with a flourish, producing a sturdy and fashionable **[Leather Pouch]** to turn in. Seeing the drastic change, she vowed to make something for Lisbeth as a thank-you for the advice given.

Every swing of her hammer, every tap made to shape the metal beneath her; it all showed her pride and her confidence rising as she noted the sudden improvement in the others' skills and it shone through her crafts. Thankful that she made a difference, it showed through her work as she produced a **[Steel Sword+2]** and, determined, carried on to make more to fill her quota.

They kept the effort going for another two hours as the last item was finished; Asuna wiped her forehead for sweat as she looked down at the items she had made. She had made a total of ten jars of **[Gold Honey]** , ten jars of **[Strawberry Jam]** and five **[Tender Boar Steaks]**. She couldn't believe that she had made all these items as she could now understand Lisbeth's words as she felt her effort radiate back at her and she smiled warmly as tears came back.

Naruto grinned as he looked down at his list of items; making five **[Silver Necklaces]** switching between +1 and +2's, five **[Luck Charms]** which all had a small portion of Naruto's natural luck flowing through them, five **[Silver Bracelets]** and ten **[Silver Rings]** , all switching between +1 and +2's, with two exceptions as they came out as +3's. Liz smiled as his Luck had come through for him again as she noted how beautiful they all were.

Argo stretched from her place on the floor as she took note of everything she had made; ten pairs of **[Leather Sandals]** , ten pairs of **[Leather Gloves]** with two pairs being +1's, and five **[Leather Pouches]** that allowed a quick-access to ten items that could be stored within.

Lisbeth had been busy herself as she placed the last of her items on the wooden board that served as the counter; ten **[Steel Swords]** that ranged from normal to +2's, ten **[Steel Daggers]** again ranging up to +2's and five **[Steel Longswords]** that had one coming out as a +3 as well.

The NPC at the counter couldn't hold back the tears as she openly cried in joy as she looked at the items through bleary eyes, noting how each item had a story to tell and just how much care was put into making them. She quickly ran into the middle of the four of them and brought them all into a group hug, none of which complained as they held the hug for a few minutes while trying to console the woman.

 _"T-Thank you so much...!"_ she whispered gratefully as she wiped the last of her tears away and turned to face them all with a warm smile. "These are much more than I expected and I am in your debt! As a thank you, I'd like to double your reward for your efforts! Every item I see here... people will be _rushing_ to buy them and I have you four to thank!" she smiled brightly while bowing once more.

 _ ***Quest Complete!***_

 _ **Reward (x25): 10000 Col!**_

 _ **Quest Reward:**_ ** _+10 Skill Points, 10000 Col,_ 'Marketing' _Perk,_ 'Eye For Quality' _Perk,_ 'Bartering' _Skill,_ 'Persuasion' _Perk,_ [Crafter's Charm+3]!**

"Alright!/Yatta!/Whooo!/Yosh!" the four of the yelled in unison as the celebrated their first quest and learned an important lesson from this in terms of their crafting skill. They smiled as they all knew they had made a difference and would help her grandfather with his operation, and felt the urge to only get better. The extra items were awesome, no doubt, but they all knew that Lisbeth was the main reason that they had gotten so good...

Asuna, Naruto and Argo (unknowingly) all had the same idea in mind as they all decided to walk back to the Town of Beginnings and turn in for the day.

* * *

 _ **~SAO:AC~**_

* * *

 ** _~Floor One: Town of Beginnings: Inn~_**

Lisbeth sighed blissfully as she felt the hot water travel down her body and onto the shower floor beneath her, releasing the tension in her body after a rather _emotional_ day of crafting. A warm smile came to her face as she remembered the quest and simply astounded herself that her words would result in such a change in everyone's crafting skill. She lowered her head as the memories of her father came to mind, telling her the exact same thing to her when she was a little girl.

 _'Thank you, daddy. I managed to do to others the same that you did to me all those years ago.'_ she thought with a fond smile on her face as she ran the shampoo through her head and allowed her fingers to run deep in her brunette hair. She paused as she wondered whether she would be able to dye it in game and where to get the dye from... but shook it off as she continued to shower.

Naruto had invited Argo and Asuna to his room and we currently find the three of them at work, crafting. The three of them were shocked that they all had the same idea in mind but they all knew that they would still be struggling if it wasn't for her words, so they decided to show their thanks by making something for her to use. Argo's **Enhanced Hearing** perk came in useful as her head tilted up for a second before a smirk appeared on her face.

"Seems like she's finished her shower, sa~!" she commented as she went back to the last bit of her craft before finishing with another little flourish. Asuna giggled as she poured the contents of the frying pan into a dish, revealing a mouthwatering plate of **[Honey-Glazed Steak]** with a few homemade wedges and salad garnish.

"Good! Just in time as well! She can enjoy her food while it's hot." Asuna smiled as she placed the frying pan into the sink to wash later. "How's it coming, Naruto-kun?" she asked, knowing that he was working on a four-piece set but it would be attuned to boost her crafting stats.

"Seems that my luck is really pulling through for me here... aha!" he grinned triumphantly as he finished his last item. Setting the final piece down alongside the other pieces of the set, the three of them grabbed them and placed them all in their complimentary pouches. Courtesy of one Argo. The three soon made their way downstairs and quickly walked to Lisbeth's door. Asuna walked forward and softly knock on it a few times, waiting for the response.

 _"Hello?"_ Lisbeth's voice called out from the other side of the door.

"Liz-chan! It's me, Naruto-kun and Argo! Is this a bad time?" she asked politely. A few moments passed before the door opened, revealing Lisbeth in a simple tube top and skirt as they noted her drying her hair.

"Not at all! Come in!" she moved to the side and smiled as the three of them made themselves comfortable. "So what's up?" she asked, closing the door behind her.

"We wanted to say thank you for everything you said to us earlier. We wouldn't have been able to finish that quest without you, Liz-chan." Naruto grinned foxily at her, making her blush faintly in response before a grin appeared on her face as well.

"Aw shucks, Whiskers! You sure know how to make a girl feel good, don't cha?" she commented, earning a chuckle from the blond in response as he scratched his neck. Lisbeth noted that he was doing that whenever he felt embarrassed and couldn't understand why he was so uncomfortable with accepting praise.

"Well, the three of us decided to show you our thanks by giving you something each of us made." he continued with a warmer smile as the three of them opened up their quick-inventories and clicked on the items. Argo was first as she pulled out a pair of white-dyed **[Leather Gloves of Crafting+2]** and a pair of **[Leather Boots of Crafting+1]** and placed them on the table in front of her.

Naruto smiled as he went next and moved closer to Lisbeth, noting the blush return on her face on how close he was to her. She could smell his scent, a mixture of lemongrass, sandalwood and the muskiness of his sweat and natural testosterone and it was making her head rush. He pulled out a matching pair of **[Silver Rings of Crafting+4]** , surprising her on just how he had managed to make a +4 item before remembering his Luck stat. She felt him take her left hand and gently placed the ring on her index finger, before switching to her right hand and repeating the action.

She lifted her hands to admire the items and quickly used her **Examine** skill on them, noting that it each ring gave a five-percent bonus to her crafting stats. She then noticed that he was standing behind her before she saw a glint pass downwards over her eyes and gasped when she felt something rest on her chest, noting it was a **[Ruby Necklace]**.

"W-Where did you manage to find a ruby from!?" she squeaked out in shock. Naruto smiled as he continued to give her her last gift, deciding to humour her.

"By complete accident and luck, I suppose." he smirked when he made a small nip in her earlobes, earning a jump from the girl before she felt something go through the newly-made piercings in her ears. "I unlocked a skill called **Desynthesis** , which allows me to take something and reduce it to it's base materials. I... desynthed my **[Forest Guardian's Ring+3]** from the dungeon yesterday and I managed to salvage a decent chunk of ruby from it, alongside a nice chunk of diamond and sapphire. So I used the ruby for your necklace because it reminded me of your eyes..." he trailed off as he finished clasping the **[Silver Earrings]** in her ears and turned around to face her.

She was floored by his explanation and she felt a tad guilty that he would give up a good piece of equipment and used one of the items for her. Despite that, she was touched that he put thought into his gift and blushed when he mentioned the ruby reminding him of her eyes and she let loose a small smile. Her nose went into overdrive as she smelled something amazing and noted the **[Honey-Glazed Steak]** in front of her, courtesy of Asuna.

She shook her head but failing to stop the tears as she rose up from her seat and walked over to Asuna and pulled her into a soft hug, one which the rapier-user returned. She then broke off and made to hug Argo before Argo playfully ducked the attempt before finding herself in a headlock and her blonde mop being tussled by her hand. The two laughed at one another as her gaze settled on Naruto.

She felt her heart beat a little faster as the two locked eyes on one another as he grinned, squinting his eyes to give him a fox-like appearance. "I didn't know what else to give you but I know you wanted to make a difference with your crafting, so I hope the things I made you will help you fulfill your goal." he finished explaining as he stared into her eyes again.

And just like that, her heart began racing at the thoughtfulness and support he was showing her in her goal. She quickly found her respect for him rising and, dare she admit it, she felt a small flutter in her heart as she could imagine him being perfect _boyfriend_ material. She shocked herself and everyone else in the room as she pulled him into a tight hug before reaching up and placing a soft kiss on his cheek. She pulled back to see the blush on his face and noted how cute he looked right there.

 _"Thank you so much, Naruto-kun. I will cherish these, always."_ she whispered softly with emotion thick in her voice. She gave him one last squeeze before the two broke apart. "Thank you all. I don't know what to say..." she confessed as she giggled softly with embarrassment. The three looked on with soft smiles as the four of them decided to spend a little more time with one another before turning in early for the night and recover from the day's events.

* * *

 _ **~SAO:AC~**_

* * *

 **(** _ **En'ō no Yama no Chōjō: Dojo of the Monkey King)**_

"Again!"

He watched on as his student ran through her forms once more. He noted the sweat flying off her body and the ragged breaths she was taking just to keep up with the speed of her attacks and her momentum. Amber eyes that glazed over slightly from her exhaustion setting clearly in her face but soon hardened in determination as she moved even faster than before. He allowed a small upward turn of his lips when he saw her push further than her body was comfortable with, proud of her keeping to her word about her resolve.

She knew her body was rebelling against her, she knew her lungs were protesting for a moment of rest and her head needed water before she fainted from dizziness. Yet she never caved into those impulsed as the years of training her body were stretched to their limits with every movement she made. She was shocked when he had told her he would be training her in a weapon and further shocked when he had given her a naginata to use; similar to his bō staff but a fundamental difference as she also had a blade at her disposal. She kept her eyes closed as she used her senses to maintain her awareness and her balance; feeling the flow of energy through her and the pounding of her heart against her rib cage as she moved.

She moved gracefully, almost like she was dancing across the floor and her weapon being her dance partner; a dance that was both dazzling and deadly in the hands of an expert, yet her lack of experience did nothing to lower the standard as she took to the weapon like she was meant to wield one. She gracefully twirled on her spot as she span the naginata in her hand before bending forward to an incredible angle as the naginata sailed over her back like a helicopter rotor, before spinning it in her hands and jumping into the air to allow it to complete its dance as it span underneath her feet.

She span a few more times before picking up a small sound coming from her right, allowing her instincts to kick in as her arms moved to intercept the incoming projectile with an upward slash. Her eyes snapped open as the small rubber ball split into half and skimmed past both her cheeks, staring straight into Hiruzen's aged orbs with a ferocity that would be found on a wolf. Her stance was solid and still ready to defend from all sides, her feet in perfect distance from each other to move any direction, her grip giving her the option to attack or defend with little effort.

The only sound that broke the silence was the harsh panting that came from the redhead's throat as she allowed her heart to gulp in the air and allow her body to recover from pushing herself beyond her limits. Hiruzen broke out into a smile and nodded his head in acceptance.

"Excellent. To think that you would pick up the first Dance in a matter of a week... simply incredible by _anyone's_ standards, my dear Kazuko." Hiruzen smiled warmly at her as she lowered her weapon and bowed to him respectfully, earning one in return.

"Arigatou, Sarutobi-sensei." she smiled, despite her body's protests.

"... he means a lot to you, doesn't he?" Hiruzen asked, surprised on how much she's willing to go to protect and save her surrogate-brother. She simply looked at him and he immediately noticed the look of longing in her eyes and the gaze that showed him just how much she loved him, beyond the borders of a sibling relation. "... you truly love him, don't you?" he asked, noting she closed her eyes.

"Hai, jiji. I know I shouldn't have these feelings for him but..." she trailed off as she rested her right hand over her heart. "I can't stop these feelings anymore. I truly love him, jiji, and I won't let him leave me until he knows how much I love him, even if he doesn't feel the same way about me." she finished strongly as her amber eyes held tears as they softened.

"You would be surprised, my dear." Hiruzen chuckled before shaking his head. "Cool yourself down and make sure to properly stretch before making your way to the baths. Try not to fall asleep in them, Kazuko-chan." he wryly grinned, earning a huff from the redhead as she lowered herself onto the floor and reached down to her feet. She slowly stretched her legs out a little as she gathered her body again and slowly calm her body down, thinking about Naruto as she did so. She felt a small tingle coming from where her heart was and she was filled with joy and pride, wondering where it came from. She closed her eyes as she felt a deep feeling of thanks for something and...

She gasped when she felt concern... concern for _her_.

 _'H-How... how am I feeling this?'_ she asked herself as she switched legs. She paused for a moment before an idea struck her and she tried sending a feeling back, wondering if he would feel it...

* * *

 _ **~SAO:AC~**_

* * *

 _ **~Floor One: Town of Beginnings: Inn~**_

"... so we ended up in the middle of the public paddling pool, nothing but our birthday suits on our bodies as everyone turns to stare at us. I turn to Kiba and I whispered, _'Never again am I letting you talk me into skinny-dipping with you'._ " he finished, earning a loud burst of laughter from the three women he was currently sitting with as they wiped their eyes. Naruto began laughing before he paused for a split moment, feeling something _foreign_. The girls noticed the sudden pause in the laughter and grew concerned for him.

"A-Are you okay, Naruto-kun?" Liz spoke up, trying to reign her laughter under control. Naruto paused for a second before he felt a joy of relief and love coming from somewhere. His eyes snapped open before tears softly fell from his sparking eyes. "N-Naruto!?"

"I-I'm fine." he smiled as tears continued. "I-I'm more than fine. I now know my Kazu-chan is safe and she's worried for me but thankful I'm safe." she smiled as he cried for his sister.

"K-Kazu-chan?" Asuna squeaked, dreading if she was someone close to him in real life.

"Hai, my adopted sister." he explained, unknowingly easing their fears. "I... I don't even know how this is possible but she... I can feel her telling me to keep safe and to wait for her." he explained, shaking his head with a warm smile on his face. The girls noticed this and they simply smiled as well, adoring how much he's caring for his sister.

"What does she mean, 'wait for her'?" Lisbeth asked.

"I didn't buy one NerveGear the day of the release, I managed to buy _two_. It also turns out my luck pulled through as the two I picked were _two of the three_ SCP's." he explained, earning jaw-drops from Argo and Lisbeth. "I know she has the final one as she has the 'Monk' SCP and no-one else on the Monument of Life has it by their name. She... is the ten-thousandth player and she's preparing herself before she starts this game." he smiled warmly, feeling nothing but love from her.

"Then we'll just have to make sure she has a brother to come to, sa~!" Argo grinned. The two girls followed up as they raised their hands into the air, allowing Naruto to smile warmly at the all, making the three of them blush at just how heartfelt it was and how charming it made him look.

"Hai!" Naruto agreed with a grin on his face. _'I'll stay safe, Kazu-chan. I'll be waiting for you.'_

* * *

 ** _~Chapter End!~_**

* * *

 ** _Phew! Quarter to seven in the morning and spent all night typing this up. Bleh. X3_**

 ** _Now, I should mention a few things to clarify what's happening in terms of the harems for both Naruto and Kirito. These are the lists and they will NOT be edited nor changed. These decisions are final._**

 ** _Naruto's harem: Asuna, Lisbeth, Argo, Kazuko, Philia._**

 ** _Kirito's harem: Suguha (Leafa), Sinon, Silica, Sachi. (Damn, Kirito loves the S's...) ;)_**

 ** _As for those who may be curious about the crafting classes, then I implemented a few from Final Fantasy. I know it's unusual to focus on but crafting is a rather handy way to make income in the game and even more so if a craft could mean life and death. So while it won't be a main feature, the four of them will have the crafts to earn money on the side and to upgrade their gear and stats. Next chapter should be another group quest, a sticky situation, nosebleeds, boobs and a little surprise... ehehehe! *wags tails*_**

 ** _Anyway, I'm utterly pooped and I need sleep. Enjoy the chapter while... I... doze... zzzzz... zzzzz... X3_**


	4. The Amber-Eyed Wolf!

_**Hello! GAKitsune is BACK!**_

 _ **I know it has been a verrrrry long time since I've properly updated everything and I am still so sorry that it's taken me so long to do so and kick my tail into gear and get to doing this for all my lovely, wonderful (and very patient) readers and followers! But first, I should say...**_

 _ **Uggggghhhh!**_

 _ **Spent the ENTIRETY of last night working on the new chapter of Enter The King! for you all and my PS4 decided to give me the utter horror about "Not finding the Link" and losing all the progress I made typing! And PLUS: it didn't copy my text when I clicked to copy it! ;^;**_

 _ **SO!**_

 _ **I'm now sitting in the library where I will probably do my very best in the next three hours or so, having gotten no sleep or food and am gonna aim for retyping everything I had down and finish this damn chapter to upload for you lovely readers to enjoy!**_

 _ **But... for now? Here is the long-awaited Chapter FOUR! Of Sword Art Online: Advent Children!**_

* * *

 _ **~Chapter Four~  
~The Amber-Eyed Wolf~**_

* * *

A month has passed. A month since ten thousand innocent lives were dragged into this death game...

 _... not even seven thousand remain._

She had already been here a fortnight. She had the one chance to back out and watch from the safety of the real world as to what was happening in the game; she _could_ have supported him from the outside instead of risking everything she has to stand by his side as he fought his way to freedom and to life. She softly traced his name engraved in the cold and unforgiving stone in front of her; hoping that her touch would give warmth to the person whose name she's tracing. With her now in the game... it meant that all ten thousand players have entered the game and now...

... now the game _truly_ begins.

She had taken to doing this as a routine since the first day she joined the game. Offering her silent prayers to whatever gods there may be for those who had fallen... and for those who still fight for another day. She had seen the reactions that the game has brought on people and she can see the clear divide between each kind of person currently in this deathgame: those who have been hit by the fear of the game and the seemingly impossible chance of escaping alive... and committed themselves to suicide or paranoia that there would ever be a way out. Although disheartening, she has also been inspired: she had seen the fires in peoples' eyes as they walked past her in the market area and the town itself; the fires that showed her their resolve to make a difference. Even if it meant their lives would be forfeit...

... they would _gladly_ give their lives so that the others may one day be free.

Bowing her head and offering a moment of silence, she moved her brown cloak around her tighter for warmth. Shifting the basic naginata on her back she had saved up a hefty amount of col for, she soon made her way out of the Monument of Life and back into the coliseum where it all started. She had heard from passer players that it used to be called the Room of Rebirth back when the game was still in the beta testing stages; for the fact that it was the respawn point when someone was killed by accident and it allowed them another chance...

Of course... now such a comfort and privlege is no longer an option.

The thing that concerned her was that there was still no sign of _him_... Despite there being less than seven thousand strong remaining (and from what she gathered, only three real player settlements on this first floor), she had not seen any glimpse of her beloved brother. Even going as far as utilizing her player search directory but coming back with no result on his position. She knew that something was blocking her from finding him so soon so she reluctantly gave up on trying to find him today. She sighed once more as she held her clenched fist to her chest and looked up into the clear skies above with softened and worried amber orbs...

Shaking her head from dwelling too much on said thoughts (and risk upsetting herself again), she decided to harden her eyes as she opened up her menu to access the built-in map feature. She had idly noted during the two weeks that the map were revealed in sections once it was discovered and it updated the system so that everyone could see the new revealed area. Of course, sometimes the areas would reveal a majority of the map or even a small fragment of the floor; but just towards the north-east of the map was still a section of map that was shrouded and not updated on her map. Seeing as it was in the forested section of thhe map, she decided to venture out and check out if she could be the one to discover what lies within...

* * *

 _ **~SAO:AC~**_

* * *

 _"No."_

"But whyyyyyy...?"

"Nope."

"Pleeeeeeeeaaaaase?"

"... that is genuinely creepy and disturbing as fuck and I would like you to never do that again in front of me. And the answer is _still_ no."

"Why are you so meeeeeeeeaaaaan...?"

"Oh, I don't know... how about the _asshole_ who's pathetically begging me for a favour has not only _insulted_ me to my face for something _out of my control_... but has **_ALSO_ ** thought it to be a good ideal to leave a new player in the middle of a death game in which said person has _**NO FUCKING CLUE**_ how the game is played and almost ended up _dying_ because of _your lack of foresight!_ "

"... **_*sobs*_** h-he called me an _asshole_...!"

"..."

"..."

"..."

"... he has a point, _Kiri-baka_."

"No-one asked you!"

 ** _*smack!*_**

 ** _*sobs*_**

"Is... is he always like this...?" Asuna shyly asked, tuning to Lisbeth beside her for an answer as this was the brunette's first time meeting Kirito. Lisbeth turned to face her before looking past her to a grinning Argo who had pulled out a camera device and a bucket of popcorn as she recorded this for future blackmail material. She sighed as she turned back to the view in front of them to catch Naruto stomping his foot on Kirito's head while he ranted with some... impressively colourful language that had Argo roaring in laughter and Asuna blushing to the roots of her hair.

"Yeah, unfortunately. I've lost count how many times I want to introduce my mace to his face without getting pegged by the system." she sighed airedly, as if talking about the weather. Asuna shuddered as she turned back to watching the duo in front of her as a satisfied grin appeared on Naruto's face and Kirito's head sporting a number of welts. She watched him move towards the empty chair beside her and plopping himself down in it before pinching the birdge of his nose to relieve some of the tension that was growing from handling a large dose of childish stupidity (a.k.a. Kirito). She softly smiled as she closed her eyes and clasped her hands together before bowing her head slightly.

"Least you don't have to deal with his specific brand of stupid in real life, Liz-chan." he sighed as he leaned into his seat and crossed his legs. His sigh soon gave way to a soft groan as his eyes closed from a skilled pair of hands massaged his shoulders and upper back; prompting him to open an eye to find his fellow blonde in crime doing the magical wonder. "You have no idea how good this feels right now, Argo-chan~" he complimented her. She giggled softly in response before pressing harder into his stiff, taught muscles...

"Oho~? I'm sure I can think of some ways where you can... _reward my devoted services~_ " she purred hotly into his ear before yelping as Lisbeth's hand smacked the back of her head and disrupting her _'Naruto Time'_. She hissed in response as she saw Lisbeth looking at her in anger and embarrassment before she huffed and carried on massaging Naruto's body. "I'm just surprised you've called us here together for once, Whisker-kun, sa~" she commented, her curiosity shining through as did everyone elses.

"There's been a part of the map that no-one has discovered as of yet and I wanted us to have a shot as to what lies inside there. And as much as we hate Kirito-"

"Oi!"

"- he's the best one out of all of us, possibly sans Argo-chan, for this kind of thing. When it comes to battle mechanics and strategy... even I have to admit he's top notch with this kind of stuff." Naruto finished, not acknowledging the interruption from said ravenette mid-speech. Everyone simply accepted this and had their curiosity piqued further still. Kirito, on the other hand, was buffing his nails on his shirt as he chuckled to himself.

"Oh Naruto, have you _finally_ acknowledged my vast superiority over you in all things game related? Are you willing to humble yourself and _praise_ me for my expertise? Does this mean that you _finally_ regard me as thine lord and master in this place?" he hinted smugly with a clear condescending and kamidere tone in his voice.

"I mean, we're abusing you for now until we get a better grasp on the game and then we can make do without you. You're just an ends to the means right now." Naruto savagely grinned in response to Kirito's claim. All three females responded to that with either burn hisses, cat growls or laughter in response as Kirito huddled into the corner with a rain cloud over his head. "Either way, this might have something that could give us a clue as to how to get off this floor and make some headway into escaping this damn game." he finished a bit more seriously. Everyone snapped out of their playful mood for a moment and agreed with him as they began formulating ideas between them.

"In terms of who we have so far, we can manage as a light party but the issue is our current stock on potions, antidotes and other apothecary items for whatever we may face." Kirito started as he moved to the map that Argo had managed to get a hold of and prompted everyone to circle the said map. "In terms of defence, we only really have Naruto as he's the only one of us with any defensive capabilities. Everyone else is more evasion-based but he can _eat_ attacks. If we had another tank with us then we might be more comfrotable facing this thing head on since we could have the two 'swap' and split the enemies' focus on them at intervals. Even another DPS would be handy." he summarized briefly, earning nods from everyone there.

"Stock normally falls down to Argo-chan as she's got the best scope than all of us combined. Liz-chan is in charge of armoury and all of us can pitch in to try and get everyone kitted up for this. I don't want to take risks on this incase we encounter something we aren't meant to handle so soon." Naruto continued off, earning a nod from Lisbeth when he turned his attention to her and briefly smiling in response.

"A-Ano..." Asuna shyly interrupted before carrying on with her input into the discussion; "I've noticed that some of the foods I've been trying to make have some kind of stat boost that you get when eaten..." she trailed off quietly. She felt a hand on her shoulder courtesy of Naruto who simply smiled at her. Her heart secretly melted as her fears were soon washed away and she slowly returned the smile with one of her own, acknowledging the unspoken command.

"From what I've heard, there's someone who's beaten you to that _Whisker-kun_." Argo imputted seriously, all playfulness absent for the time being. "Not much was said about her but the only thing I've heard was an odd weapon on her back that resembled a spear but... almost bladed on the end...?" she described as she took note of his expression slowly morphing into one of shock. Everyone else soon noticed this and turned to face him. "Are you okay, Naruto?" she asked, concerned for her friend.

"...a naginata... and that means the game has truly begun." he breathed out as his eyes widened further as he had mixed feelings in the matter. There's only one person he knew of who would willingly used said weapon and it prompted him to leave the remainder of them as he quickly grabbed his sword and ran outside. Everyone else soon followed him, wondering and concerned as why he suddenly dashed out like that.

"So she's finally made her appearance..." Kirito somberly spoken as he sent two messages off and quickly caught up with the others in no time; knowing exactly who Naruto is rushing to.

* * *

 ** _~SAO:AC~_**

* * *

 ** _~Floor One: Labyrinth of the Groves~_**

 ** _"Ungh!"_**

Her body flew backwards as she bounced off the floor a few times before gathering herself and crouching down with her weapon poised behind her. Her eyes took in the enemies in front of her and noted that she really picked up his horrible sense of luck. She had been managing so well up until this point; the entrance was an easily overlooked grove of trees that had a bush covering up the entrance. The enemies up until then were all around the level fifteen mark... which proved to be no hassle for the recently-turned level twenty five player. Having been able to dispatch of those with great ease, she slowly made her way through the labyrinthine grove of trees with a great amount of frustration.

She had taken a wrong turn but she had, coincidentally, stumbled across a treasure box.

Having played a few games herself, she knew that the boxes always contained some kind of reward or item that could be used in the game to her benefit... but she never knew that there would also be monsters acting as them to try and eat the unexpecting players who were unfortunate to escape. So this now left her in a predicament of facing off against a level thirty-two Mimic that proved to be every bit worth the black colouring its name was displayed in.

Knowing that straight-out assults would be out of the question, she had soon opted to switch to guerilla tactics and going for hit-and-run passes. She had done well in bringing the creature down to half of one of his four bars but she had mis-timed her footing and left an opening that the mimic soon took advantage off and had sent her flying backwards into the junction of the labyrinth she had previously been in. She didn't have much col on her to begin with and only had enough for five potions at best; having already used three to maintain her health against this monster.

So with no other option... she began to run.

Cutting through the forests and abusing the map system as she jumped on top of the rocky formations, she cut through the darkened forest trees and used the darkness as a means of enhancing her stealth and sped through the tress until she ame out and landed on the grass a good half-way across to the other side of the map. She glanced around for any kind of noise or sight that would alert her to being spotted but thankfully she had nothing for a good five minutes; granting her a well needed respite for another potion...

... and not a moment too soon as she was blindsided by a sinewy leg that had sent her flying once more as clattering legs and teeth suddenly appeared behind her. She grunted in pain as she bounced off the floor before gathering herself and crouching down with her weapon poised behind her. Unfortunately, the miic had managed to attract the attention of several of the local wildlife in the game which also proved to be her bane as the additional pack of dire wolves targeted her. Her eyes took in the scene before her and knew that she would most likely not be able to get out of this situation alive without some kind of-

 ** _"[UNLEASH!]"_**

-intervention...

Her eyes widened in shock as she noticed a greatsword shoot past her and pailed all the enemies in front of her; having done little damage to the mimic itself but the one dire wolf had taken a critical hit and burst into pixels having half its head cleaved off from the boomerang-attack. She saw a figure launch over her and she sighed slightly in relief, knowing that the reinforcements would at least save her from the enemies in front of her; noting the incredibly muscular and dark-skined form of a player who seemed to be able to wield his basic axe with great ease as shown by spliting another wolf into half before dispersing. She turned back to the mimic who had shaken off the earlier attrack and jumped into the air, aiming to crush her and whoever else had decided to aid her against this creature...

Too bad she closed her eyes as she missed the sight of another person in standing in front of her and shoting firecely... having snapped her eyes open as she could never mistake that voice...

 ** _"[STEELGUARD!]"_**

Her eyes looked up to find the mimic having crashed into the flat of the same blade that had taken out the first of the wolves stabbed into the ground and taking the brunt of the leap attack as the figure behind it pushed against it as added resistance, basking in a golden glow that spread out to everyone that stood behind him. Hey eyes traveled upwards and she noted the messy blonde hair and sapphire eye looking down at her with so much happiness that it moved her to tears.

 _"O-Onii-sama..."_ she whispered as a true smile broke out of her face. Naruto smiled in response as he faced back off to the mimic still perched on his sword and used his augmented strength to send the mimic flying backwards and crashing through a series of trees; taking out the rest of the health that filled the first of four bars. _"Y-You..."_ she started before she felt herself being hugged by her brother and proved too much for her as she started to cry.

 _"I'm here... I'm here, Kazu-chan..."_ he gently whispered, letting tears of his own fall as everyone watched the scene with soft smiles on their faces as brother and sister were finally reunited.

"As much as I hate breaking this up, Whiskers; we still have to do something about the mimic." Lisbeth interrupted as she made her way over to the pair along side everyone else. Naruto looked up briefly and nodded as he slowly lifted Kazuko up to her feet again and took note of everyone there, noting there were two players he didn't know. The first was the same axe-wielder who had taken out a second wolf and the other was a tall figure with red-turned-ginger spiked hair that was held back by a red bandanna. He idly noted the nodachi in his hand and figured that it would be the main weapon he used.

"Naruto; the two new faces are Tiffany-" he introduced, pointing to the axe-wielder, "and BallsDeep69." he finished, pointing to the samurai. Both turned to Kirito and smacked him simultaneously on the head and sent him crashing to the floor, holding his head and crying pitifully.

" _Tch_. My name is Agil and is a pleasure to finally meet you in person, Naruto. The other guy is Klein." he introduced, holding his hand out for Naruto to shake before repeating the process for Klein.

"We don't have the time for proper introductions right now so we'll save this for once we're finished in here." Naruto commanded as the mimic soon came back into view... causing others to pail slightly as they noticed that it didn't come back alone. Blocking their path in front of them was the original level thirty-two mimic and five additional level twenty-five mimics; all of which started to intimidate the party of eight by snapping their teeth and revealing their jagged maws. "Argo! Give Kazuko a top-up on potions! We don't have much going for us so the best thing to do is to split the mob into three." he commanded, noting how this was the lull in the battle as they regrouped together with all their weapons drawn. "Kirito!"

"Naruto; I want you to take Kazuko and Argo to take on the boss Mimic. With you acting as distraction, the other two can focus on disabling the legs and aiming for the 'wooded' part on the hack where the hinges lay. It should be enough to either stun it or possibly score a critical hit." he deciphered as he used his **_[Scan]_** ability. "I'll take Lisbeth with me to deal with two of the smaller mimics while Agil, Kelin and Asuna focus on the remaining three. If we finish our mob; have one member split to join Naruto and the others to help with the remaing mobs before we finish the boss!" he commanded, stunning everyone how serious he sounded without his goofy persona and was impressed by his fast thinking and analytical skills.

"Hai!" everyone replied in unison before the three parties decided to split up and tend to their specific groups.

* * *

 ** _~SAO:AC~_**

* * *

 ** _(With Naruto, Kazuko and Argo)_**

The three members rushed forward side-by-side; with Naruto taking the point as he cut his hand and allowed a drop of blood to stain the blade before his weapon glowed, singalling the start of a skill as he lobbed his sword straight for the mimic and watched it fly towards its starget as the blade soon glowed red in an aura matching the blonde's anger for nearly killing his sister. He turned his gaze to Kazuko and saw the fire in her eyes and couldn't help the shiver tingle down his spine how serious she looked. He smirked as he thumbed over to the mimic and his sword and spoke three words;

"Help me fly!"

She grinned in response as she twirled her naginata behind her back before grabbing it with both hands and arcing it underneath where Naruto just jumped from and pushed him upwards towards the mimic as they timed the jump and sent him further. Argo was stunned to see such teamworks but soon laughed loudly as she let loose a savge grin of her own as she put on a burst of speed and made her way to catch up with Naruto as Kazuko aimed her naginata and threw it in an arc similar to how Naruto did first off.

 _ **"[Crescent Moon!]"**_

Naruto quickly flew through the air as he reached out to grab his sword as he flew overhead the mimic boss and harshly yanked out the blade wedged in the wooden carcass before aiming for the weak spot Kirito had pointed out to them all... but the mimic was angered and quickly spun around to face him and retaliate while the blonde was still airborne before a shriek pierced out as it felt a stabbing sensation on one of his three weak spots and the trio watched a good chunk of the second bar disappear with that one move. Argo had taken to running between the creature's legs and had used her dagger to slash the tendons at the back of its 'ankles' and lept back to retreat back with the other two to watch the last sliver of health disappear from bar number two as the mimic collapsed from having his legs giving up on it. The mimic growled and roared loudly, forcing the three to shield themselves from the shock wave as it soon began to glow in a threateningly dangerous red aura as a red symbol with two glowing white eyes appeared to its name. Naruto quickly used his scan ability, having not encountered the icon before:

 _ **Name: NM: Mimic Prince**_

 _ **Level: 42**_

 _ **Health: 24879/50000**_

 _ **Mana: 0/0**_

 _ **Status Effects: Angered (Attack +25%, Defence -25%, Movement +25%, immune to Sleep)**_

"Ohhhh shit..." Naruto cursed, not liking the odds of this fight now the status effect was in play. Both girls turned to him in worry as the sound of his tone hinted that that new symbol meant bad news for them.

"How bad is it, Whisker-kun?" Argo prompted as she never took her eyes off the mimic that slowly rose to its feet again and moving about to test its legs for damage. Kazuko's grip on her weapon tightened as she prepared herself to counter.

"It's Angered status. Extra attack and movement speed, lowered defence and we can't sleep it even if we could as it would have no effect- shit! **_[Steelguard!]_**." Naruto commented in response before he hastily threw his guard up for the Mimic Prince, who had demonstrated the extra movement boost would have possibly killed them if it wasn't for his quick reactions. Nevertheless, all three were sent flying backwards in response despite the girls losing only seventeen percent in comparison to Naruto's fifty-four. The two girls simultaneously used potions on him to bump him back up to eighty-seven before the three regained their bearings and focused solely on instincts as the three began using what they can to try and present an opening to exploit...

* * *

 _ **~SAO:AC~**_

* * *

 ** _(Kirito and Lisbeth)_**

As the main three moved towards the boss, noting the incredible pre-emptive strike as they watched the entire second bar disappear from a total of three attacks, they almost missed the smaller mimics rushing towards them. Agil saw the movement and raised his axe above his head as the weapon glowed a golden aura before smashing it into the ground, rupturing the ground and creating an attack that knocked three of the five back.

 ** _"[Overpower!]"_**

Both Agil and Kirito nodded to one another before Agil performed a second one in a row, allowing Lisbeth to move up beside him as all five enemies were made airborne from the second [Overpower] and both of them used thier respective weapons to split the mimics up and in opposite directions; giving them ample time to split up and prepare for their own enemies. Kirito had already rushed forward as the mimics flew forward and intercepted the one flying mimic as his sword glowed blue.

 ** _"[Horizontal!]"_**

Thanks to his keen eye, he had managed to time his slice along the spine of the one mimic and had easily split the two halves of the one mimic in half; watching it burst into pixels the moment it hit the ground again. Unfortunately, he didn't notice the one behind him coming from behind and latching onto his sword arm and disarming him while a bleed effect soon appeared next to his name and slowly drained his health down. Lisbeth saw this and quickly moved to strike at the mimic before its instincts kicked in and lept off the arm, forcing Lisbeth to redirect her attact into the air to avoid Kirito.

Unfortunately, this left her wide open for an attack frm the mimic as it charged and tacked her away with surprising force and Kirito lept back to provide cover for her as the mimic clattered its teeth before dashing at them once more. It proved to be much nimbler than its larger counterpart and, in turn, was proving much harder for the two of them to hit it; as such was proved as both Lisbeth and Kirito moved in for a pincer attack that the mimic nimbly moved out of and nearly promted the two attacks to hit each other if it wasn't for them turning themselves to clash against each other safely.

"A-Any ideas... Kirito?" Lisbeth panted as she took a potion to increase her health back up from yellow and back into green. Kirito noted the movement from the mimic in front of them and noted that there was a slight irregularity on one of its back legs. He watched closely for another glimpse...

... _there!_

 _"Liz. D'you see its back right leg?"_ Kirito whispered to her, prompting the brunette to turn and stare at said appendage as it moved about...

 _"A limp...?"_ she breathed out, already connecting the dots together and formulating some kind of plan. "Exploit it and cripple it, I take it?" she asked him, earning a small nod in response. She nodded in return as she prepped her mace and dashed forward, looking to make some distance towards the mimic as i copied her actions and dashed quickly to meet her. She watched its maw widen to do a bite attack but she had managed to rotate herself in mid-air to slam the lid of the mimic down on its lolling tongue and biting it off. Using the granted opportunity, she dropped to the floor and used her mace to strike from beneath and flip the mimic over onto its dented back as she lept away:-

Just in time as Kirito appeared above her as he stabbed his sword clean through the mimic and hilted into the ground. The creature shriek loudly and writhed before it grew still... exploding into pixels. The two sighed in relief as they finished the last of their enemies off before taking a moment to catch their breaths.

"Liz. I want you to go and help Naruto out. You could help them with your blunt attacks and we already have Agil with the others. I'll go help them finish theirs off while you provide support on the boss." Kirito commanded, earning a small nod from the brunette. While she hated his 'holier-than-thou' attitude outside... she had come to respect his battle prowess and she knew that Naruto hadn't described him out of flattery but genuine praise and credit. With her reprieve over, she grabbed Kirito's arm as a wicked smile appeared on her face, prompting Kirito to pale before screaming as he was sent at hurdling speeds towards the other group before dashing over herself to the opposite side of the clearing...

 ** _"That's for calling me a chick, you bastard!"_** she yelled after him, grinning like a madwoman.

* * *

 ** _~SAO:AC~_**

* * *

 ** _(Agil, Asuna and Klein)_**

The three soon moved forward as all three mimics landed in a heap that did some damage to themselves before they all jumped back onto their feet and chattered among themselves before dashing towards Agil, who held the most aggro on them. He wasn't an agile person but he was able to tank some of the glancing blows that bypassed his weapon from the three mimics before finding one piercing as Asuna came from behind and stabbed at the open weak spots on the one mimic, stunning it into place temporarily as she had set a flurry of attacks that struck all three points (even if with very little power). He took it as an opportunity to cleave the paralyzed chest clean in half before it exploded into pieces that soon faded into pixels.

As this happened, Klein sheathed his sword and crouched down and rested his grop on the hilt of the sword as his body glowed orange. "I need an opening, Asuna!" he shouted over the fighting. Said person flickered over to Klein and noted he was building up some kind of iaijutsu attack and nodded; prompting the two of them to work on getting one of them off of Agil's focus. She took a breath as she yelled out in hopes of grabbing attention...

"Oi, you ugly excuse of a chest! Can't you handle a _real_ woman?" she yelled, prompting the one mimic nearest her turning its attention to her and growling lowly. "Hell, this is probably the closest to an intimate touch you'll ever get, _jerkwad_!" she finished, grinning as it flashed red towards her and started to dash towards her. Klein barked out a laugh before snapping his eyes open as he dashed a good twenty feet in front of him in under two seconds. Having drawn his sword, he soon sheathed it with a click as the stilled mimic soon slid into two pieces and followed its brethren into non-existence.

 ** _"[Zantesusken.]"_** he breathed out as he fell to a knee from dizziness. It was a move he had unlocked after the first mimic had fallen and it was tried and tested in that moment after unlocking it. Asuna saw him fall and quickly rushed over to him as she pulled out a potion and gave it to him to drink. She was about to ask if he was fairing alright to continue before a voice got louder and louder...

 _ **"... and then you have the**_ **gall** _ **to throw me over here like a fucking goddamn**_ **ragdoll** _ **! After**_ **all** _ **I did for you, you ungrateful sadistic bitch! Fuck yo-oooof!"**_ he continued ranting until he crashed head first into the remaining mimic and stunning it long enough for Agil to quickly finish it off. All three sets of eyes were on his unmoving form before the lone female sniggered before bursting out into laughter from the sheer hilarity and idiocy of what happened before her teammates joined in and relieved themselves of some of the tension.

"Oh man! Argo is gonna want some good money for this beauty!" Klein grinned mischievously as he bounced the recorder crystal in his hand and moved it safely into his inventory as he stood back up, having recovered from his attack. "I think that's the last of the buggers?" he asked, confirming their status.

"Mhm. All that's left is the boss Mimic now and we can go from there if we want to continue or retreat. It'll be down to Naruto seeing as..." Agil started before looking down to see Kirito unconscious. Sighing, he bent down and picked him up effortlessly with one arm as the other moved his axe onto his back. "You two go on and help the others while I try and bring this idiot around." he grinned cheekily, earning two in response as they both made their way to the boss.

* * *

 _ **~SAO:AC~**_

* * *

 ** _(Naruto, Kazuko and Argo)_**

Naruto grunted as he dashed between the legs of the boss and swung his fist out to hit the back of the one leg he had managed to cut, leaping backwards as the mimic driopped its right side onto the floor before his sword flashed into view and struck the two legs the other side as he jumped from underneath it as it soon landed on the floor. The two girls were currently taking a breather as Argo had taken a nasty blow on her arm that rendered her left arm useless. With such a disadvantage, she jumped back and Kazuko had offered to tend her would as Naruto took the fight to the boss one-on-one.

 ** _"[Impact!]"_**

A new voice cried out as she flew through the air and smashed down on the top of the mimic and created a new weak spot as the wooden armour caved in to see a bit of pink underneath it. She lept back out of the way, missing the mouth that almost ate her alive as she dashed back to where Naruto was as his sword was propped on his shoulder for a moment. She noticed his health had moved dangerously close into the red and judging from him not doing anything would mean he had no potions left. She opened up her inventory and made him drink the last two she had on her, watching his health go up to sixty-three percent.

"It's times like these I'll need a separate pack of potions in reserve for you, Whiskers~" Argo grinned playfully, elbowing his side as he snorted in response. The banter didn't last long as the downed mimic shrieked once more and watched the icon change from red to black, also forming a black aura around the boss itself as it got to his feet unnaturally quickly before scurrying off to an open patch of field. As this happened, Asuna and Klein both regrouped with the two fighters the same time that Kazuko and Argo moved back to stand beside Naruto.

Whatever they expected to happen? _This wasn't it_. They saw the bodies of the five smaller adds they had just killed reappear in front of them in a pile just in front of the Mimic Prince... who ate them in one gulp. Whatever momentum they had up until this point quickly stopped and retreated as they watched all four bars of its health filled back up and watched as its level jumped from forty-two to level fifty. It stood there, not even moving as both sides turned to face each other down; allowing Naruto to hit Scan again.

 ** _Name: NM: Fallen Mimic Prince_**

 ** _Level: 50_**

 ** _Health: 150000/150000_**

 ** _MP: 0/0_**

 ** _Status Effects: Enraged (Attack +50%, Movement +25%, Defence -50%, Immune to Sleep, Paralysis, Stun), Cannibalism V (Each stack grants 20% extra health at the cost of no health regeneration)._**

"... honestly, how the fuck did Kayaba expect us to pass the first floor if we have to face something as powerful as this?" Argo solemnly spoke, earning silent nods in response as nothing happened between the two sides. Each of them knew there would be no way that they could possibly fight this thing head on without losing someone, if not all of them to this behemoth. Nothing happened for a few moments until Naruto took a step forward, having dispelled his sword into his inventory. He held his hands up as he walked up to the boss and stopped just outside attacking distance. Everyone watched with baited breath as to see what would happen next.

"I... I have no idea if you can understand me or hear me... but we can't beat you." Naruto admitted, much to the silent shock of the others there behind him. The boss took a step forward slowly and noted the human didn't step back in response. "I don't know if there is anything we have on us we could give you as a means to let us go or if there is anything we could do to gain your blessing..." he trailed off as his words evaporated into silence once more. It stayed that way for several minutes, even as Agil and Kirito watched what was happening having rejoined the others.

 ** _"... so you finally call a ceasefire now that I've become too strong for you to kill."_**

Everyone's breath left them as they heard the boss they were just fighting, speak. It shocked them that despite how feral the thing in front of them looked, that it could produce a voice so elegantly calm and yet still maintain an icy coldness to it.

"I don't have any excuses for our actions, nor will we deny them. All we ask is your blessing and forgiveness so that we might actually escape with our lives, Your Grace. Honestly, I don't understand why Kayaba would place you on the first floor and blocking the way to the first dungeon since it'd be almost impossible to beat you and many of us would be killed before we even killed the first floor..." Naruto pleaded as he lowered his arms slowly to his sides as he conversed. The Prince growled slightly as it lowered itself into Naruto's face.

 ** _"... while I am tempted to kill you all for attacking me... I can sense something in you. Something different."_** the Prince soon spoke, having lost it's angered edge. **_"I can't explain it and I will not try to. In response to your thoughts... maybe the idea of me here on this first floor_ wasn't _to defeat me?"_** he responded knowingly, earning wide-eyed responses from the party of eight as the Mimic Prince smirked as best as a mimic possibly could. **_"But what can you offer to me in exchange for your lives?"_** it asked.

Naruto and the rest of the party paused for a moment before NAruto swiped down to bring up his menu and brought out the two jewels he had gained upon desynthing his ring and showed it to the Prince, who took a moment to hide it's surprise as the tongue slowly scooped up the two gems and devoured them. "Is this enough or do you require more?" Naruto asked, slightly more relaxed from the accepted offering. Before anyone else could speak, Kazuko moved up to her brother as she opened up her hands and revealed a golden ingot within them. She moved forward and placed it on the ground in front of her and moved back to stand next to Naruto. Asuna also moved forward and placed a few high-quality plates of steak down while Lisbeth placed several of her rarer metal ores down as a tribute. The Mimic was surprised it would gain so many valuable items so early in the game but was impressed it would offer those up in exchange for their own and friends lives. Devouring the rest of the offered items, the black aura faded and the icon where its enraged status was changed to one of blue; showing it was now calmed and docile.

 ** _"I am impressed. I will allow you eight to pass with my blessings and am glad to see that you still value the real things over something superficial and non-existent. My name is Namizu, Prince of the Mimics and I bestow upon you all protection of my kind up until Floor Thirty-Three. I will also reveal the way to the dungeon that leads to the next floor as a token of gratitude in honour of your selfless act and bravery to protect your friends."_** the Prince, now identified Namizu, spoken, earning widened eyes from them all as they had their notifications pop up;

 ** _Quest Complete: Friends in High Standings! (Bronze)_**

 ** _Exp:+ 250000  
_** ** _Col: +25000_**

 ** _Items: [Prince Nezimu's Blessing] Perk! (All Mimics will not attack up until Floor Thirty-Three. If given the requested item, Mimics will temporarily fight with you.)_**

 ** _Quest Complete: To The Dungeons! - Floor 1!_**

 ** _Exp: +50000  
_** ** _Col: +5000_**

 ** _~Congratulations! You have leveled up!~_**

 ** _Naruto: 36 - 38  
_** ** _Kirito: 38 - 39  
_** ** _Argo: 34 - 37  
_** ** _Asuna: 32 - 35  
_** ** _Lisbeth: 33 - 35  
_** ** _Agil: 30 - 32  
_** ** _Klein: 28 - 31  
_** ** _Kazuko : 23 - 28_**

"Thank you, Prince Namizu." Naruto sighed in relief as he and everyone else bowed in gratitute; having averted a disaster and gaining a blessing in response. The Prince Mimic tilted itself in response before the ground beneath them lit up in a more golden glow and provided a path for the eight of them to take. Seeing as they were here already, they all agreed to at least clear the way for the remainder of the other players before calling it quits. The Mimic Prince watched them all leave for a while longer before noting one of the small mimics having appeared from underground. A few skittering noises chirped from the smaller mimic as Namizu paused for a moment.

 ** _"No... I don't believe it would be necessary. Pass the word around to my kin within my jurisdiction and let them know of those eight and provide them safe passage; per my request. Should they require it, lend them your aid. Knowing what dangers lie ahead and both my Mother and Father to face; plus whatever is in store for that male blond... they will need every edge they can get."_** he solemnly spoke before the two mimics departed and disappeared once more into the Labyrinth.

* * *

 _ **~SAO:AC~**_

* * *

 _ **~Floor One: Hidden Hot Springs~**_

Having stumbled across this place by accident during the evening, all eight of them had decided to treat themselves to a session in the Hot Springs just a little out of the outskirts of the Town of Beginnings. Much to most of their relief, there were seperate bathing areas for male and female players and had adjusted accordingly. Agil, Klein and Kirito had thrown their stuff at Naruto and had silently designated him as the watch over their items... which made no sense as they have their inventories. Nevertheless, he waited until the three guys had finished up with their stuff before he made a show of having stored all his items away in his inventory and gave the sheepish boys a glare that froze them in their spots before entering the now-empty male side of the springs.

Sighing to himself as he sank into the water, he closed his eyes and allowed the water to soak through his muscles and wash away his fatigue from fighting earlier on. He didn't know how long he remained there with his eyes closed and soaking in the hot waters but his eyes opened as soon as he heard the doors open from his side; and was surprised to see Kazuko standing there in nothing but a towel wrapped around her figure. He smiled softly at her as he beckoned to her, earning a soft smile from the girl in question as she softly closed the door behind her and slowly made her way towards him; taking a small breath of courage before allowing the towel to pool around her slender legs before placing it on one of the closer rocks an arm's length away from her and slowly let her naked body sink into the water and softly walked over to his side; which he immediately wrapped an arm around her as she snuggled into his side with her eyes closed.

 _"O-Onii-sama... I'm so glad to know you're safe."_ she trembled in his arms as her voice wavered slightly from emotion. He sighed but didn't stop himself from pulling her into his arms and holding her softly and brought her head into his neck. She didn't even fight to move away as her naked body pressed against his as she cried. All the worrying, all the fear, all the loneliness... now gone as she was back with him. _"I looked for you... and I couldn't find you..."_ she trailed off as she cried softly and silently into his neck.

 _"I'm here now, Kazu-chan. I... I was so scared seeing you there..."_ he admitted, letting his feelings out as he pulled her closer to him. _"I was so scared... I didn't want to think what would happen if I didn't make it in time."_ he confessed, letting his voice waver as his emotions thicken his voice. She moved her hands to his chest and softly rubbed him to calm him down slightly as he shuddered in her arms. _"I'm just so glad you're safe, Kazu-chan~"_ he smiled warmly as he felt her hands stop moving as her light breathing reached his ears, letting him know she had fallen asleep in his arms; causing him to smile warmly as he stroked her damp hair tenderly.

"She must have gone through a lot, sa~" Argo commented as she sat directly behind Naruto and pulled his head back into her lap as she did the same to him as he did to his sister. "Such a caring older brother you are~" Argo smiled softly, comfortable enough showing this side of her to the blonde. Naruto's eyes widened in shock as he looked up and noted she didn't have her towel around her and have a free look at her misleading b-cup breasts. She smiled down at him as she ran her fingers through his mane of golden hair and smiled, feeling at ease about showing him herself and knowing he wouldn't take advantage of her. "As for why I'm here and naked in front of you? I... I just feel comfortable knowing you wouldn't take advantage of me, sa~" she answered the unbidden question, still smiling all the while.

"... yeah. I'm just glad she's safe. I'm glad everyone's safe after that." he smiled warmly as he squeezed Kazuko gently, making her snuggle closer to him. His eyes turned back to the sounding of the doors sliding open and noted both Lisbeth and Asuna standing there in their towels as well before both of them blushed at the scene before him. Lisbeth's carmine orbs soon hardened before she was stopped by Asuna's soft touch. Asuna pointed towards Naruto and Kazuko and patted her friend's arm in response, earning a sigh from Lisbeth as she decided to let it go for tonight.

"I can't believe we managed to dodge the bulet earlier. What was Kayaba thinking about having a level _FIFTY_ monster on the _first fucking floor!?_ " Lisbeth cussed quietly, not to disturb the redhead of the group as she joined the others in the water alongside Asuna. The latter had shyly glanced to the spot to the left of Naruto and asked him for silent permission to join him. He smiled softly as he hinted for her to do so; noting that the two of them weren't quite as comfortable with their bodies and wore a set of swimwear to relax with: Asuna wearing a soft-white two-piece bikini that gave her C-cup breasts a nice lift and fullness to them while Lisbeth donned a two-piece mauve set that covered the entirety of her feminine parts to avoid revealing anything.

"That we did. I'm just glad everyone's safe and that our _**[Persuasion]**_ and _**[Bartering]**_ skills came in handy so soon. We wouldn't have made it unscathed from that. Not a chance." Naruto grimly confessed, earning solemn nods from them all before he felt Asuna lean her head on his shoulder. He made no move to stop her but was curious about something... "I have to ask though; why are you all on this side of the baths? I mean, I'm glad you're here but I'm naked and... a-aren't you all uncomfortable at all...?" he asked, his anxiety kicking in as he held Kazuko closer as a form of comfort; who (as if she sensed him) wrapped her arms around him in response.

"I know you wouldn't take advantage of us or leer at us, Whiskers~" Lisbeth commented as she smiled at him, moving the other side and copying the rapier-user's actions of leaning against him. "That and we feel more at ease with you than without you." she closed her eyes as she let the relaxing bliss consume her and enjoy this moment. None of the five of them could complain right now as they felt so at ease with one another and knew that this would simply be the start of something...

 _Amazing._

* * *

 **** _ **~Chapter End!~**_

* * *

 _ **So there we go~! This was a bit of a nightmare to write, admittedly. The fight scene went a lot smoother than I had anticipated and managed (read: attempted) some light humour within that and I'd love to get your responsed for that! And yes, I've finally added Kazuko into the mix and I was at war with myself as to whether have her meet up so soon or to wait a little longer before their reunion but: since I'm making the fic a lot harder than the anime, I decided that it would be safer to have them together.**_

 _ **As for the Mimic Prince: there might be some people who wouldn't like my decision. But there's three things that needs to be understood and explained:-**_

 _ **Firstly: The fact that I made the boss so OP. You need to remember that this is STILL a deathgame and I've made Kayaba a lot more desperate to keep people in his world for all the work he's put into this. I've purposefully made it seem like an impossible challenge even by normal standards.  
**_

 _ **Secondly: The fact that they are at the levels I have given them already is something that's not to be scoffed at. Reason being: this is still only the first floor and likely not expected anyone to go above and beyond level twenty without having the exp grind slow to an absolute stop. So imagine how many enemies they have had to kill just to be able to get that far is nothing short of grinding religiously and pretty much for fourteen hours a day just to be able to hit it.**_

 _ **Thirdly: Since SAO originally was based around fighting through everything; I wanted to make a change. It's NOT to say that their attempts will always be successful but it will add a new dimension into the game (much like the added Luck stat I've implemented).**_

 _ **And don't forget: I will be implementing Hollow Fragment into this fanfic so there will be so much more story and content as it will basically be a combination of two different halves of the tales. But for now: I can say I'm pretty happy with how this chapter has turned out and I hope you guys will enjoy it! Don't forget to R/R and F/F! I've not stopped taking note of them! *wags tail happily~***_


	5. Author's Note: August 2nd 2018

**_Hello everyone! First off, I'm not dead. Had a couple of people ask me if I've dropped any of the stories I've written so far and the answer is..._**

 ** _NO!_**

 ** _I've been inactive because so much has been going on. I'm in counselling (again), I've lost hours in work, I'm financially at the point of insolvency (which is a step up from bankruptcy) and don't have enough to pay off my debts... and still no laptop which means I've pulled myself off from everything and jumped back into the library._**

 ** _I'm so sorry to all the followers and fans who read my stuff and I'm sorry things aren't getting updated right now... but I also thank each and every one of you for supporting me still through the absence~ It means a huge lot to me and I'm so happy to do this for you people and make you happy!_**

 ** _So... despite all that; I'm taking a more active role in streaming now and I've hit Affilate on Twitch! I want to get back into typing for you all a bit more seriously again and I'll be dedicating a day of my week to coming here and working on stuff for you now~_**

 ** _With that said; I'm gonna put up Ninth Origin for a challenge for you guys and I'm actually gonna start one last new story I've had a long while now and kinda wanna see how it pans out tbh~ So the updates will be as follows:_**

 ** _Enter The King! - Kamina vs Alexis: Start of the Eight Stars Arc_**

 ** _SAO: Advent Children - Ilfang; Escaping the First Floor (and updates to remove the SCP's since they don't really fit with where I want it to go right now in the story but will remain the same!)_**

 ** _Wandering Kitsune (on my old account, Lambhuna) - Want to make progress on there since it was the first story I ever wrote on fanfiction tbh~_**

 ** _New story, which is gonna be an AU Naruto fic but with an element of Fast and Furious? I don't know why, I had a dream about it and it worked and it could fit the characters... xD_**

 ** _So here's how the updates are gonna work out; each chapter will have two chapter updates EACH before I release them to you guys because I owe you all so much. Then I will work on the new story idea. Then it'll be a rotation of each story and see how it all plays out~_**

 ** _It's not perfect and I'm still struggling with my anxiety and depression everyone but I will try harder to do this..._**

 ** _Also; for those who might be interested... my Twitch channel name is GAKitsune so it'll be good to be able to interact with some of my followers and watch me stream some of the games I play~ Plus! You get to hear me sing, too! :3_**

 ** _So, thank you all again for the continued support.. and I will try to push my lazy butt to type more for you all~ much love to you all!_**

 ** _Kitsune~_**


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